The West Has Helped Paul Kagame to Pillage the Congo
For the last three decades, Rwanda’s leader Paul Kagame has fueled conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo and ransacked its natural resources. The US and the EU have been Kagame’s partners in crime so they can get a share of the loot.
The European Union has negotiated a deal with Paul Kagame’s government in Rwanda to facilitate the extraction of minerals, despite clear evidence that this is encouraging the pillage of the Congo and fueling a devastating conflict. (Nicolas Tucat / AFP via Getty Images)
Bloomberg News describes Paul Kagame, president of Rwanda for the last quarter century, as “the West’s favorite autocrat.” According to Bill Clinton, Kagame is a “brilliant man,” one of the “greatest leaders of our time,” no less.
Former British prime minister Tony Blair likewise hails Kagame as “a visionary leader.” Blair’s Institute for Global Change has worked closely with Rwanda, and Blair has personally argued against any moves to sanction Rwanda for its violent looting of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
It is not merely retired politicians like Clinton and Blair who have chosen to truck with Kagame. The European Union has negotiated a deal with his government to facilitate the extraction of minerals, despite clear evidence that this is encouraging the pillage of the Congo.
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