Rwanda Accused of Child Soldier Recruitment in U.S. Trafficking Report

Kinshasa/Washington – The U.S. Department of State has placed Rwanda on the Tier 2 Watch List for the second year in a row, in its 2025 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report. The document delivers a severe rebuke to President Paul Kagame’s government, accusing Rwandan officials of complicity in child trafficking and the forced recruitment of child soldiers for the M23 rebel group operating in eastern Congo.

Damaging Allegations

According to the TIP report, U.S. investigators found evidence that children were taken from refugee camps in Rwanda and recruited by officials to fight for M23 in North Kivu. The allegations reinforce earlier UN findings that Kigali provides material support to the rebel movement, which has been linked to massacres, sexual violence, and mass displacement.

The report highlights several failures by the Rwandan state:

Authorities identified fewer trafficking victims than last year and referred none to protective services.

• Victims, including children, were detained in “transit centers” functioning as prisons.

• Border officials allegedly accepted bribes and facilitated cross-border trafficking.

• Rwandan officials coordinated with M23, which continues to use child soldiers.

• No government officials were prosecuted for complicity in trafficking.

The report explicitly urges Kigali to “cease coordination with and support to armed groups recruiting or using child soldiers.”

What is Tier 2

The Tier 2 Watch List is a U.S. government category for countries that do not fully meet the minimum standards to eliminate human trafficking, but are making some efforts. However, unlike normal Tier 2 countries, those on the Watch List are at risk of slipping to Tier 3 if they fail to show real progress. Tier 3 is the lowest ranking – reserved for governments that tolerate or are complicit in trafficking – and it can trigger serious consequences such as U.S. sanctions, foreign aid restrictions, and reputational damage on the international stage.

What It Means for Rwanda

This is one of the most direct condemnations of Rwanda ever issued by the U.S. government. The implications are wide-ranging:

• Diplomatic Damage: Kagame has built his reputation as a “clean, efficient reformer.” The TIP report shatters that image, linking his government to trafficking and war crimes.

• Aid & Funding at Risk: If Rwanda slips to Tier 3 in next year’s ranking, U.S. law requires restrictions on non-humanitarian aid. This could also influence European donors.

• Legal Exposure: Evidence of child soldier recruitment strengthens the case for international accountability mechanisms targeting Kagame’s inner circle.

• Regional Politics: The report bolsters Congo’s accusations that Rwanda fuels instability in the east. Kinshasa may use this to press for UN sanctions against Kagame’s generals.

• Propaganda vs. Reality: While Rwanda invests millions in sports sponsorships and global PR campaigns, the TIP report highlights the human cost: children trafficked into armed conflict.

A Shift in Global Perception

For years, Kigali has projected itself as a model of efficiency and reform. But the TIP report makes clear that beneath the polished image lies a regime complicit in grave abuses.

Washington is now on record accusing Kagame’s government of sponsoring human trafficking and fueling the war in Congo. Kigali may deny the allegations, but the evidence is mounting, and international patience is wearing thin.