 | |
 Rwanda |  United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Diplomatic mission | |
| High Commission of Rwanda, London | High Commission of the United Kingdom, Kigali |
Rwanda–United Kingdom relations refer to thebilateral relations betweenRwanda and the United Kingdom. The two countries established diplomatic relations on 1 July 1962.[1][failed verification]
Both countries share common membership of theCommonwealth, and theWorld Trade Organization. Bilaterally the two countries have a Development Partnership.[2]
TheGerman Empire ruledRuanda-Urundi until losingWorld War I in 1916, when it had to give up its colonies. At the1919 Paris Peace Conference, Britain intended to take all ofGerman East Africa including Ruanda-Urundi, but the Orts-Milner agreement granted Ruanda-Urundi to Belgium instead. Britain did acquire theKigezi District of northwestern Rwanda, absorbing it into Uganda.[3]
Britain, while not directly interested in Rwanda, was engaged due to its borders with resource-richUganda andDRC. From the early 1990s, the UK supported the formation and goals of theRwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) to topple theFrancophone government ofJuvénal Habyarimana in Rwanda. The RPF had contact with British intelligence, and they received military training from British and US forces in the military base inJinja, Uganda.[3][4]
In 1993 NGOs warned of potential violence in Rwanda. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Britain played a key role in decisions to withdraw most of the UN peacekeeping troops from Rwanda in April 1994 after the genocide began, as British UN AmbassadorHannay argued thatUNAMIR could have a similar fate as thefailure in Somalia six months earlier, and proposed to reduce the operation.[3][5]
On 31 May the Secretary-General declared what had occurred in Rwanda constituted genocide.[6] There was pressure on UNSC members to strengthen UNAMIR. However, Britain ambassador argued against intervention and saying it was "an African problem that required an African solution". The strengthened UN force was not deployed until over three months after authorization, due to UNSC members failing to provide resources.[3][5]
Since 1994 the UK has provided significant aid, military and strategic support to Rwanda, despite concerns of the country committing human rights abuses and crimes in theDemocratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with the goal of exploiting the DRC's mineral resources.[7]
There are questions around whether UK foreign policy towards Rwanda is compatible with legal obligations, as it has been shown complicit in Rwanda crimes, and motivated by maintaining power status and economic interests.[7]
In 2025 Rwanda claimed that criticism towards English association football clubArsenal, and their sponsorship withVisit Rwanda, was a danger towards Rwandan peace and stabilization.[8]
Rwanda has criticized the UK's decision to impose sanctions and pause some bilateral aid overKigali’s alleged support for the M23 rebel group in theDemocratic Republic of the Congo. The UK said sanctions would remain until Rwanda withdrew its troops from DRC, though Kigali denied providing military support to M23. The UK’s actions included suspending defence training, reviewing export licenses, and limiting diplomatic engagement. US sanctions also targeted Rwandan officials, including theMinister of State for Regional Integration James Kabarebe, for alleged ties to M23.[9]
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The UK and Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership,[10] also known as the Rwanda asylum plan,[11][12] was a policy that was announced in a speech in 2022 by British prime ministerBoris Johnson.[13] It was to have been an immigration policy whereby people identified by the United Kingdom as beingillegal immigrants orasylum seekers would be relocated toRwanda for processing, asylum and resettlement.[13][14] It was enacted for a duration of five years by British home secretaryPriti Patel and Rwandan foreign ministerVincent Biruta on 13 April 2022.[15] However, a series of legal challenges repeatedly delayed the implementation, and following the2024 general election, in which the governingConservative Party lost in a landslide to theLabour party, the plan was cancelled by new Prime MinisterKeir Starmer.[16]
As a member of theEast African Community, Article 143 gives Rwanda the legal right to make an accession request to join theUK–Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement - afree trade agreement betweenKenya and the United Kingdom.[17][18]
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