Nduhungirehe said in a Saturday post on X that the timeline of events makes it difficult to link the sanctions to the group’s presence in Uvira, arguing that AFC/M23 had already withdrawn from the city before the measures were imposed.
Boulos made the comments in an interview with France24 while responding to a question about whether the United States was acting as a biased mediator in the conflict in eastern DRC.
Boulos refuted the suggestion that Washington was taking sides with the DRC, saying the sanctions followed the capture of Uvira shortly after the signing of the Washington peace and economic agreement between Rwanda and the DRC.
“Sanctions on Rwanda were a direct result of the invasion of Uvira, just after the Washington deal. They were given a chance to withdraw; we were extremely patient but unfortunately had to sanction,” Boulos said.
He added that the sanctions could be lifted if the commitments under the agreements were respected.
Nduhungirehe, however, said AFC/M23, which is a Congolese movement, began withdrawing from Uvira on December 16, 2025, and completed its withdrawal on January 17, 2026.
“The city was then retaken by the Congolese army (FARDC), its Burundian allies and its militias (FDLR and Wazalendo),” he said.
The minister noted that US sanctions against the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) and four of its generals were imposed on March 2, 2026, with other sanctions following later.
“It’s therefore extremely difficult to justify the US sanctions against Rwanda by the refusal of the AFC/M23 to withdraw from Uvira,” Nduhungirehe said.
Rwanda has repeatedly rejected claims of supporting the AFC/M23 rebel group in eastern DRC, insisting that its primary concern is the continued presence of the FDLR militia group in the region. The group was formed by perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi who fled to the DRC after the Rwanda Patriotic Army stopped the genocide.
The Washington Accords between Rwanda and the DRC include security commitments and a regional economic integration framework. On security, the parties committed to the neutralisation of the FDLR and the lifting of Rwanda’s defensive measures.
The economic framework covers mineral supply chains, infrastructure, energy and national park management, while promoting greater transparency in mineral trade and cross-border economic cooperation.
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