"Rwandan experts have criticised US sanctions on senior Rwandan military officers, calling the move a ‘violation of sovereignty’ that could derail the peace process in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Speaking in Kigali on Tuesday, political analyst Dr. Eric Ndushabandi questioned the alignment of the sanctions with the ‘Washington Peace Process Act’, claiming that targeting officers of a sovereign nation constitutes a breach of international norms. “No one can show today where they agree that if something is missing in the process, that you take a sanction against military officers of a country. So, this is a pure violation of sovereignty of countries,” Ndushabandi said. He warned that while the move may not end relations between Washington and Kigali, it could widen the gap between Rwanda and the DRC. “This will reduce the trend to the peace process in this region, because Congo will be celebrating once again, but without addressing the root causes of the conflict,” he continued. Meanwhile, lawyer Mutabingwa Alloys criticized the US, pointing to a ‘double standard’ in its treatment of the parties involved. “The peace broker is not supposed to be the same peace broker who is imposing sanctions selectively and without any plausible justification,” Alloys stated. Alloys said he believed the sanctions will not succeed in tarnishing Rwanda’s international image and expressed hope that there was space to 'negotiate the problem'. The US Treasury sanctioned the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) and four senior leaders for ‘blatant violations’ of the December 2025 Washington Accords, a peace deal brokered by President Trump. Washington alleges that the RDF provided direct operational support, training and hardware to the M23 group. Rwanda rejects the sanctions as ‘unjust and one-sided’, arguing they ignore provocations by the Congolese military (FARDC) and FDLR militia. Meanwhile, Kinshasa welcomed the decision, calling it a ‘clear signal’ of respect for Congolese sovereignty."