Blinken rebukes Rwanda over rights, suppression concerns

By IGNATIUS SSUUNA
Associated Press

KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday rebuked Rwandan authorities over democracy and human rights concerns, saying the central African country may not reach its full potential without opening up political space and protecting freedoms. Blinken said the United States recognizes Rwanda’s incredibly difficult history of the 1994 genocide but believes that the criminalization of opposition political figures undermines the country’s overall peace and stability. He was speaking in the Rwandan capital of Kigali, the last stop on his three-nation tour of Africa. Earlier Blinken toured a memorial for victims of Rwanda’s genocide, saying he was “moved by this memorial and inspired by the resilience of the survivors and the remarkable progress of this country.”