Britain has decided to freeze £16 million worth of aid to Rwanda, following allegations that the country was fuelling the conflict in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.

Britain’s decision echoes steps taken by the US and Netherlands to condemn the Rwandan president, Paul Kagame, after a UN report accused Rwanda of arming rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Addressing the issue, The Department for international Development (Dfid) said that Britain’s aid recipients must adhere to strict ‘partnership principles’, which include human rights and other international obligations such as, good governance, transparency, fighting corruption and domestic accountability.

The head of the US war crimes office Stephen Rapp, further emphasised international concerns by warning Rwandan leaders that they could be eligible to face prosecution at the international criminal court (ICC) for “aiding and abetting” crimes against humanity in a neighbouring country.

The international change in stance on Rwanda was applauded by Human Rights Watch senior researcher, Carina Tertsakian.

Speaking on the freezing of aid, she said,

"We hope this signals a broader shift in international policy and that Rwanda's friends and allies will begin insisting on respect for human rights, inside Rwanda as well as in Congo."

"The recent report that Dfid is delaying disbursement of some of its budget support could also be very significant in light of the fact that the UK is the largest bilateral donor to Rwanda and has been reluctant to take a strong public stand on Rwanda's human rights record."

See our earlier post: US cuts aid to Rwanda (22 July 2012)