Trump Administration Is “Absolutely Foolish” for Sanctioning Rwandan General Kabarebe and the US, Europe and Canada Lecturing Rwanda On Governance Is “Absolute Stupidity” — Says President Paul Kagame

Eight days after signing the DRC and Rwanda Peace Agreement brokered by the US which went into force on June 27, 2025, Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame seemed to have already forgotten about it. In his two speeches delivered on July 4, 2025, Kagame not only viciously attacked the US, the sponsor of the peace agreement, but also savagely attacked his peace partner, the leadership of the Democratic Republic of Congo. As the saying goes, a leopard can't change its spots — Kagame cannot change his fundamental character of warmonger into a peace-maker.

And just like that… Kagame’s back. Everybody relax.

The Peace Agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda came into effect on June 27, 2025. Consequently, from that date onwards, the DRC and Rwanda established a partnership to work towards the cessation of conflicts and the promotion of peace. The fundamental objective of the DRC-Rwanda Agreement is as follows:

“The Parties shall work together and with regional and international partners to promote stability, security, and development in the region, recognizing that peace and prosperity are interdependent.”

President Kagame maintained a radio silence regarding the Peace Agreement for eight days until June 4, 2025, when he issued two distinct statements about it. During his press conference on the afternoon of July 4, he made an uncharacteristic effort to disparage the character of DRC President Félix Tshisekedi, disregarding the fact that they were now collaborators in ending conflicts and fostering peace. Here are Kagame’s own words, portraying Tshisekedi as an arsonist and an illegitimate head of state: 

“It is like having arsonists being the judge, and prosecutor, of people for burning down the house. The very ones who burnt down the house are the very ones to judge, to prosecute and everything. Do you know how the current president came to be the president? He was just called to the office, and this man thought that he was making a good deal, and handed him power. Do you also know that actually there were witnesses. Heads of state. Did you know that? One of them being the former president of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, the other one being the president of Egypt, Cece, and the other one being President Ramaphosa of South Africa. You go and ask to go and visit them and ask them this question.”

In his second speech of on July 4, 2025, Kagame used exceptionally crude language to describe the Donald Trump Administration’s Sanctions on Rwanda’s General Kabarebe for his role in the DRC-Rwanda was. According to Kagame, the US government’s sanctions were “absolutely foolish.” 

Kagame was reacting to the US Treasury Department’s sanctions titled “JAMES KABAREBE: CENTRAL TO MILITARY OPERATIONS AND CRITICAL MINERAL EXTRACTION IN THE DRC” issued on February 20, 2025 which reads as follows:

“James Kabarebe is a former RDF general and the current Minister of State for Regional Integration in the Rwandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He is a central political and military figure and has played key roles in conflicts in the DRC over the past three decades. 

Kabarebe is a Rwandan government liaison to M23 and orchestrates RDF support for the armed group. In addition, Kabarebe manages much of Rwanda and M23’s generation of revenue from the DRC’s mineral resources. He has coordinated the export of extracted minerals from mining sites in the DRC for eventual export from Rwanda. 

Kabarebe is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13413, as amended, for being responsible for or complicit in, or to have engaged in, directly or indirectly, actions or policies that threaten the peace, security, or stability of the DRC, in or in relation to the DRC.”

Before concluding his second speech on July 4, 2025, Kagame could not resist a second vicious attack on the US, this time including Canada and the European countries for sanctioning him for his atrocities in the DRC. Likening them to “small boys”, Kagame lambasted them for lecturing him about governance and human rights. According to Kagame, these donor countries’ behaviour towards Rwanda is “Absolute Stupidity.”

In light of Kagame’s recent statements, it is imperative to reevaluate the DRC-Rwanda Peace Agreement. This agreement, akin to others, presupposes that the parties will collaborate with regional and international partners to foster stability, security, and development within the region, recognizing the interdependence of peace and prosperity. However, Kagame’s remarks on July 4, 2025 demonstrate that his unwavering commitment to war has persisted. The notion of peace appears to be incongruous with his actions and beliefs.