US sanctions on Belarusian officials: 23 December 2020 in review
A look back at the additional measures Washington announced over human rights abuses during the protests against Alexander Lukashenko.
What did Washington do about the crackdown in Belarus on 23 December 2020? The Trump administration imposed additional sanctions on Belarusian officials and four offices, citing human rights abuses that occurred during protests against President Alexander Lukashenko.
The measures were among the international reactions to the 2020 Belarusian presidential election and the protests that followed. They added to the pressure on Minsk from the United States over the treatment of demonstrators.
Africa, two days earlier
Elsewhere, a separate security crisis was unfolding. On 21 December 2020, Rwanda deployed what it called a protection force to the Central African Republic after its peacekeepers were attacked by rebel forces advancing on the capital, Bangui. The Rwandan and Central African Republic governments accused former President François Bozizé of backing the rebels and plotting a coup, which he denied. Russia also sent troops and heavy weaponry to support the government.
