The International Development Committee has today published a new report on UK aid to Rwanda.
The report says that the UK should not provide general budget support to Rwanda in future since, according to the recent UN report, the Government there is continuing to support the M23 Rebel Group fighting in the DRC.
Exceptionally, because of today’s unexpected government announcement that the UK will not release its next payment of £21 million of budget support to Rwanda, the embargo on this report has been lifted early and it is now for immediate publication.
Commenting on the Government announcement, committee member Richard Burden MP said:
“In the light of what is happening in the DRC, I welcome Justine Greening’s decision to re-suspend general budget support to Rwanda following the Government’s decision to part-reinstate it in September. People in that part of Africa are desperately poor but, in the light of the evidence given to the United Nations as well as the UK Government, it is important that aid now gets to the people of Rwanda via means other than general support for Rwandan Government spending.
“The International Development Committee of the House of Commons has just concluded an Inquiry into recent UK Government decisions on aid to Rwanda as well as making recommendations for the future. We are publishing our report today and the International Development Secretary was aware of this when making her announcement this morning.”
