Rwanda announced it will withdraw its counterinsurgency troops from Mozambique if foreign backers fail to provide sustainable funding.
Foreign Affairs Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe said Rwandan forces face constant criticism from nations benefiting directly from their operations in Cabo Delgado.
“It’s not that Rwanda could withdraw. Rwanda WILL withdraw if sustainable funding is not secured,” Nduhungirehe said in a post on X.
The move follows U.S. visa restrictions on several senior Rwandan officials, accused of supporting the M23 rebel group in eastern Congo.
M23 has caused thousands of deaths and displacements in eastern Congo, growing from hundreds of members in 2021 to around 6,500 fighters today.
The rebel group claims the 2009 peace agreement protecting Congolese Tutsis was violated by the Congolese government, justifying its renewed insurgency.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame has defended M23’s struggle as a necessary defence of Congolese Tutsi rights in the region.
Rwandan authorities have criticised U.S. sanctions as unfair, noting Congo faces no similar scrutiny for alleged violations of the same agreements.
In Mozambique, Rwandan troops support operations against Islamic State-Mozambique, which attacked Palma in 2021, killing dozens and halting a $20 billion LNG project.
The TotalEnergies project is crucial for Mozambique’s economy, one reason the government welcomed Rwanda’s deployment in July 2021.
Government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo said the deployment costs are at least ten times higher than the 20 million euros disbursed by the European Peace Facility.
Makolo warned that if Rwandan contributions are not valued, military authorities are justified in ending the counter-terrorism partnership and withdrawing troops.
The announcement highlights mounting tensions over international funding, Rwanda’s military commitments, and the ongoing instability in both Mozambique and eastern Congo.