The decision taken by the UK government to sanction Rwanda did not come as surprise to many.
Relations have been strained. The British leadership seems to think it’s still a colonial overlord dispensing orders to natives, refusal of which, punishment!
Yesterday’s decision was nothing much more than the wrath of an imperialist system not getting what it wanted after trying to order an African state around. London’s decision to pause and revise bilateral cooperation with Rwanda however reeks of a vindictive desire to sabotage Rwanda.
The Starmer government states “Rwanda may have concerns for its security”, but that “it’s unacceptable to defend itself militarily.” What on earth is that?
The UK has taken sides in the Congolese conflict, and therefore can’t be objective arbiters of what’s going on there.
It was interesting the following day to see both Keir Starmer and his foreign affairs secretary David Lammy publicly stating (after they announced massive new spending on the UK’s military) that “Britain’s sovereignty must be defended at all cost” – as if that is a privilege for countries in the west but not in Africa. Or not those they decide should, or shouldn’t defend themselves anyway.
But they are very mistaken (in their colonial mindsets and hypocrisy) if they think they are going to browbeat Rwanda.
We will never ask anyone permission to defend ourselves.
ellenkampire