He made his criticisms during an interview with Jeune Afrique where he addressed concerns about his personal reputation, recent U.S. sanctions and rumors that once circulated about his health.
“Those who apply sanctions, they’ll do what they want, any day. You don’t have to have done anything wrong, but because they support somebody who has done something wrong, or is doing something wrong, they will apply it if it is based on interest,” he stated.
On March 2, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against the RDF as an institution and four senior military officials; Chief of Defence Staff Gen Mubarakh Muganga; Army Chief of Staff Maj Gen Vincent Nyakarundi; Commander of the RDF Special Operations Force, Brig Gen Stanislas Gashugi; and Commander of the RDF’s Fifth Division, Maj Gen Ruki Karusisi.
In early December 2025, Rwanda and the DRC signed the Washington Accords in Washington, D.C., aimed at restoring peace in eastern DRC.
Despite the agreements, however, a DRC-allied coalition—including the genocidal FDLR militia, mercenaries, Burundian soldiers, and Wazalendo militia, continued launching attacks on AFC/M23 positions and densely populated areas using ground and drone offensives.
The DRC has accused Rwanda of supporting the AFC/M23 rebel coalition, which resumed fighting in 2021 to defend the rights of marginalized Tutsi communities targeted by the DRC government after previous talks failed.
The United States statement imposed sanctions, accusing Rwanda of backing the M23, allegations Kigali has consistently denied, while urging the Democratic Republic of the Congo to end its collaboration with the FDLR, which has launched attacks on Rwandan territory on multiple occasions.
During the fighting in DRC, Rwanda was targeted multiple times, prompting the country to establish defensive measures along its border.
In its statement released on March 2, 2026, the Rwandan government insisted that the sanctions unfairly target only one party to the peace process while ignoring violations by the DRC side.
Commenting on these sanctions, Kagame also emphasized that Rwanda’s global reputation is important, but it cannot be compromised by sanctions that ignore the root causes of conflicts.
On the topic of public perception, Kagame also reflected on his brief disappearance from public view last year, which had sparked health rumors. He explained that the time away was personal, spent with his grandchildren, and not related to any illness.
The President reassured the public of his robust health, comparing himself favorably to others worldwide.
“But let me tell you, if you take 100 people randomly from anywhere to investigate how healthy they are—here, France, London, the UK, America—and include me among them, I would come among the top 10.”
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