DW Reports Congo Blames Rwanda: U.S. Funding? What Funding?
The story focuses on Rwanda's alleged support for the M23 rebels in the DRC, a familiar narrative. What the report, and much of the Western press, conspicuously omits is the consistent, substantial financial and military aid the U.S. provides to Rwanda, making it a key regional player. According to a 2023 Congressional Research Service report, Rwanda received over $100 million in U.S. assistance,
including military financing, in fiscal year 2022 alone. This aid continues despite repeated UN group of experts reports, dating back to at least 2012, detailing Rwanda's direct support for M23 and other destabilizing forces in the Congo. So, when DR Congo points fingers at Rwanda, and Rwanda points fingers back, the critical question ignored is: who's enabling Rwanda? One might wonder how many
"stabilization efforts" can be funded before accountability for human suffering kicks in, or if some deaths are simply more 'reportable' than others when the money flows through Washington.