UK suspends aid to Rwanda over support for DRC rebels
GuardianFEB 26
UK: Rwanda Demands $63.6M For Cancelled Migrant Deal
Above: A man stands on the steps of the grounded Rwanda deportation flight EC-LZO Boeing 767 at Boscombe Down Air Base, on June 14, 2022, in Boscombe Down near Amesbury, Wiltshire, England. Image copyright: Dan Kitwood/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Rwanda has requested a £50M ($63.6M) payment from the UK government, claiming the sum is legally owed following the cancellation of a Conservative-era migration partnership agreement.
The Rwanda plan, first announced in April 2022, was a deal for asylum seekers to be sent and processed in the East African nation. While the UK Supreme Court declared the policy unlawful, this was overruled by government legislation declaring Rwanda a safe country before the scheme was canceled by the new Labour government.
According to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, the UK spent £700M ($895M) in total for the plan, including £290M ($371M) to Kigali, to send four volunteers to Rwanda before the plan was scrapped. The UK government has since claimed that no more money will be sent to Rwanda.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The UK will not provide any more payments for the canceled Rwanda plan while Kigali's continued role in the DRC remains increasingly concerning. With Rwanda backing rebel forces in a conflict that has caused immense suffering, the UK cannot justify funding a regime implicated in such destructive actions. Aid should remain suspended until Rwanda demonstrates a commitment to peace.
Establishment-critical narrative
Having used the promise of healthy future relations in order to avoid a £50M bill, the UK has gone back on its word and stripped Rwanda of vital aid and supplies following baseless allegations concerning the ongoing conflict in the DRC. Having terminated diplomatic goodwill, the UK can no longer expect Rwanda's legal right to this payment to be left unclaimed.