US Sanctions on RDF Criticized as Attack on African Interests, Says Zimbabwean Watchdog

Kigali, March 8, 2026 - Rutendo Matinyarare of Zimbabwe Human Rights Watch has said that recent US sanctions on the Rwandan Defence Forces (RDF) reflect Rwanda’s defense of African interests, rather than wrongdoing, and accused international actors of misrepresenting the situation in eastern DRC.

On the evening of March 2, 2026, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the RDF and several senior military officers, alleging their involvement in security disruptions in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo-claims repeatedly denied by Rwanda.

Matinyarare, who visited Rwanda in February 2025 to make a feature film about the M23 movement, said he initially believed Rwanda was a tool of Western powers. However, his visit revealed a country committed to African pride and self-determination.

“When I arrived in M23-controlled areas, I learned how Belgian colonialists divided Kinyarwanda-speaking communities and how the DRC government sought to displace them. Sharing this truth on platforms like TikTok was censored,” he said.

He argued that the RDF’s actions are aimed at defending African communities, and that sanctions from the West often target countries protecting the continent’s interests, rather than those violating human rights.

“I think as Africans, we know that when the West sanctions you, it is because you are serving Africa, hindering international efforts. Let us congratulate Rwanda for being a revolutionary society,” Matinyarare said.

The Rwandan government condemned the sanctions, calling them biased and contrary to the realities in eastern DRC, and reaffirmed that the RDF remains committed to national and regional security.