During a parliamentary session on February 26, Lord Collins had claimed that Rwanda's Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe had 'actively denied and refuted' accusations of Rwanda's involvement with the ADF during their meeting in Geneva.
The British minister, however, later admitted that the remarks were false in a private message to Rwanda's Foreign Minister and pledged to send a letter to the House of Lords to correct the record.
The retraction follows strong criticism from Rwanda's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, which summoned the UK High Commissioner in Kigali over the remarks.
In the meeting with the UK envoy, Rwanda dismissed the statement as false, stating that the ADF was never discussed in the meeting in Geneva. The terrorist group recently killed 70 people in a church in Lubero, North Kivu in eastern DR Congo.
Rwanda condemned the comments as misleading and irresponsible, accusing the UK minister of fueling misinformation and undermining ongoing peace efforts in the region.
"It is dangerous and irresponsible for the UK Minister for Africa to make these comments that mislead the public, fuel the DRC propaganda machine and entertain conspiracy theories, as well as undermine the ongoing African-led peace process," the ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
The government further rejected any suggestion of ties to the ADF, emphasizing that Rwanda is actively combating terrorism alongside Mozambican forces in Cabo Delgado.
While Lord Collins has acknowledged the mistake, Rwanda insists that a private message and a letter to the House of Lords are insufficient.
The Rwandan government has formally requested a public correction and an official apology from the UK government.
Rwanda's ties with the UK have faced a strain following Britain's move to push for sanctions against Kigali. The measures stem from allegations that Rwanda is involved in the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where M23 rebels are battling the Congolese army.
Rwanda has repeatedly denied the claims, insisting that the M23 rebels are Congolese citizens fighting against decades of persecution and marginalisation of Kinyarwanda-speaking communities. Rwanda has also accused the international community of ignoring the root causes of the conflict, thereby hampering efforts to fully resolve it.
IGIHE
