Exclusive | As Trump’s African Peace Deal Teetered, a Call From Rwanda Halted U.S. Sanctions - WSJ
Nzi Nink
WASHINGTON—In late January, Rwandan President Paul Kagame placed a call to U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham asking him to help stop the White House from imposing sanctions on his country for breaking a peace deal brokered by President Trump.
Graham obliged—arguing that Rwanda was a reliable U.S. partner and sanctions could alienate it. The White House shelved the sanctions, according to several officialsfamiliar with the matter.
The events, which haven’t been reported before, point to divisions within the U.S.
government over how to handle Rwanda, whose actions via armed proxies have
reignited the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Graham, a Republican from South Carolina who is close to Trump, contacted the White House as well as the office of Vice President JD Vance, the officials and aides said. The senator argued that Rwanda was a relatively reliable American security partner that has made good on promises to deliver critical minerals to the U.S.—and that sanctions could undermine its participation in the peace deal.