Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Kigali, Rwanda, Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022. Blinken is on a ten day trip to Cambodia, Philippines, South Africa, Congo, and Rwanda. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool)
Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Rwanda’s capital Kigali to discuss the recent violence in the Congo. Blinken met with Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Thursday. While there, he confronted the President about the UN’s report on the Rwandan government’s role in the unrest in the DRC.
“In our discussions, I also raise serious concerns about human rights,” Blinken said. “As I told President Kagame, we believe people in every country should be able to express their views without fear of intimidation, imprisonment, violence or any other forms of repression. That’s true whether they’re political opponents, human rights defenders, journalists like the ones in this audience, or simply citizens.”
The UN report suggested that Rwandan troops had been fighting alongside the rebels in Congo. In addition, it speculated that Kigali has been supporting the M-23 rebel group since November. Rwanda’s government has claimed that the UNs findings are false and that they have not been supporting M-23’s actions in the Congo.
Met with @UrugwiroVillage and @Vbiruta about the U.S.-Rwanda relationship and how to reduce tensions and ongoing violence in the region. We also discussed U.S. concerns about democracy and human rights in Rwanda, including the wrongful detention of Paul Rusesabagina. pic.twitter.com/ZymNMisHDk
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) August 11, 2022
Blinken said the US will work to ensure that every country will be able to experience freedoms like those that are enjoyed by Americans.
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Source: One America News Network
