Rwanda gets new UN Security Council seat, but standing takes a hit after rebel aid allegation

NAIROBI, Kenya – Rwanda has been hailed for years as a beacon of peace and economic growth in its post-genocide period, and on Jan. 1 it took a prestigious seat on the United Nations Security Council. But after years of accolades, international opinion of the tiny Central African country appears to be shifting.

At issue are allegations contained in a U.N. experts' report that Rwanda last year began aiding Congo's M23 rebels.

Philippe Bolopion, a researcher for Human Rights Watch, says Rwanda was able to win its seat on the Security Council because of its friendship with the U.S.

Still, Bolopion believes the international narrative on Rwanda is changing. He tells The Associated Press that Rwanda's support of M23 has been so blatant that international pressure on Rwanda is rising.