Rwanda Defends Support for M23 Rebels

Rwandan President Paul Kagame listens to a question while participating in a panel discussion on the campus of Tufts University, Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Africa News and AP

President Paul Kagame has said Rwanda is ready for "confrontation," rejecting growing criticism over its support for M23 rebels in eastern Congo.

On Thursday, M23 forces, with Rwandan backing, captured the major city of Goma and began pushing south towards Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province. This marks the biggest escalation in the region's conflict since 2012.

Rwanda’s involvement in Congo has sparked strong international condemnation. Countries like Germany have canceled aid talks, and Britain has threatened to withhold $40 million in aid. Despite this backlash, Rwanda’s actions on the ground seem unaffected.

The situation continues to escalate in the wake of decades of instability in the region, fueled in part by the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide.