Trump Cut Rwanda From AGOA. Three Days Earlier, Congo Called Putin.

On March 30, 2025, the Trump administration announced it would remove Rwanda from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a trade program that grants eligible African countries duty-free access to U.S. markets. The decision cited Rwanda's alleged role in the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Yet the timing raises a question: three days before the announcement, Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

AGOA, created in 2000, allows sub-Saharan African countries to export thousands of products to the United States without tariffs. Rwanda joined the program in 2001 and became one of its notable beneficiaries, using it to expand exports of textiles, agricultural goods, and processed minerals. Removing a country from AGOA is a significant economic sanction, signaling a shift in U.S. foreign policy toward that government.

The official justification centered on Rwanda's involvement in the M23 conflict. M23 is a rebel group operating in eastern Congo that has captured territory and displaced hundreds of thousands of people. The United Nations and Western governments have accused Rwanda of supporting M23 with troops and weapons, a claim Rwanda denies. The Trump administration framed the AGOA removal as a response to this destabilizing role.

But the timeline complicates that narrative. On March 27, 2025, Tshisekedi held a phone call with Putin. According to official Congolese statements, the two leaders discussed bilateral cooperation, including economic and security matters. The call marked a notable diplomatic opening toward Moscow at a time when Congo was seeking additional international support against M23.

Three days later, Washington announced Rwanda's removal from AGOA. The sequence suggests that U.S. policymakers may have been responding not only to Rwanda's conduct but also to Congo's outreach to Russia. By punishing Rwanda, the United States could signal its displeasure with the Congolese government's pivot toward Moscow while still appearing to address the M23 crisis.

Rwanda's government reacted with disappointment, arguing that the decision ignored its security concerns and the role of other actors in the conflict. Rwandan officials have consistently maintained that their actions in eastern Congo are defensive, aimed at neutralizing armed groups that threaten Rwanda's border. The AGOA removal is expected to hurt Rwanda's export sector, particularly its textile and agriculture industries, which rely on U.S. market access.

The episode illustrates how trade policy and geopolitics intersect in the Great Lakes region. AGOA was designed to encourage economic development and good governance, but its use as a lever in security disputes shows how quickly it can become a tool of strategic pressure. For Congo, the call to Putin may have been an attempt to diversify its international partnerships amid frustration with Western responses to the M23 crisis. For Rwanda, the AGOA decision is a costly reminder that its regional conduct carries economic consequences.

The full implications remain uncertain. Rwanda may seek alternative markets or negotiate to restore its AGOA status. Congo's relationship with Russia could deepen or stall depending on developments on the battlefield and in diplomatic channels. What is clear is that the three-day gap between the Putin call and the AGOA announcement has drawn attention to the interconnected nature of trade, security, and great-power competition in Africa.