Rwanda has said international sanctions will reduce the likelihood of peace with M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), after the United Kingdom said it would pause some bilateral aid and impose other diplomatic sanctions on Kigali.

"As they push for sanctions against Rwanda, (Congo's president), seeing that Rwanda is being targeted, will refuse to participate in any negotiations," James Kabarebe, a Rwandan state minister for foreign affairs, said in a speech on Tuesday.

The UK says it will also suspend future defense training assistance and demands that Kigali withdraw its troops from Congo.

LONDON - Britain on Tuesday said it would pause some bilateral aid to Rwanda and impose other diplomatic sanctions on Kigali over its role in the conflict in neighbouring Congo. Read more at straitstimes.

The UK will soon impose sanctions on Rwanda over its alleged support for the M23 rebel group, which has seized territory in eastern Congo, including key cities and mineral-rich areas. Britain will introduce sanctions soon against Rwanda over fighting in neighbouring Congo, a minister in the UK Foreign Office told Reuters on Monday.

Kigali accuses its colonial master of “an aggressive campaign together with DRC” to sabotage access to its development finance.

The UK's decision to suspend some aid to Rwanda is "punitive", authorities in the East African country have said. In a statement, the UK said it was against Rwanda's support for the M23, a rebel group that has captured swathes of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in a deadly uprising.