According to Rwandan authorities, the UK’s decision to halt some funding to the East African nation is “punitive”.

The UK said in a statement that it opposed Rwanda’s backing of the M23, a rebel group that has seized large areas of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo in a bloody insurgency.

Previously denying support for the M23, Rwanda has now taken a more defensive stance, claiming that fighting close to the DR Congo-Rwanda border threatens national security.

The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo reports that since the conflict intensified in January, over 7,000 people have killed and hundreds of thousands have fled their homes.

A number of significant revisions have been made to the United States’ list of nations that qualify for the 2025 Visa Waiver Programme (VWP). Notably, the UK is not eligible in general but is still eligible under some circumstances.

Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, and other African countries are not listed.

Romania’s inclusion is a significant update that reflects the US government’s emphasis on fortifying diplomatic ties and giving priority to countries with robust border security procedures.

List of 40 countries approved under the updated programme:

• Andorra
• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• Chile
• Croatia
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Israel
• Italy
• Japan
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Monaco
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Qatar
• Romania
• San Marino
• Singapore
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• South Korea
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland