The United States has imposed sanctions on Rwanda's defence ministry over its alleged support for the M23 rebel group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The move aims to increase pressure on Kigali to withdraw its troops and halt support for the rebels. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that Rwanda must halt its support for M23 and withdraw its troops from eastern DRC. The sanctions come months after Rwanda and DR Congo signed a US-brokered peace agreement aimed at ending the conflict.
Fighting has continued in eastern DR Congo since January 2025, when M23 seized the cities of Goma and Bukavu. Rwanda denies backing M23, but the US Treasury says Rwanda's defense ministry directed thousands of troops to fight alongside M23 in eastern DR Congo, providing weapons, equipment, logistics and training. The M23 has seized mineral-rich areas in North and South Kivu, including gold-mining sites in South Kivu and Rubaya, a major coltan-producing area.
Washington says minerals from rebel-held territory enter Rwanda's supply chains, alleging that Rwanda exports more minerals than it produces. The sanctions are intended to reinforce the Washington Accords, signed by the Congolese and Rwandan presidents in December 2025 under US mediation. The deal aimed to end the conflict and expand regional trade and investment, but fighting has continued.
On 24 October, ahead of the sanctions announcement, DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi urged the international community to increase pressure on Rwanda. He stated that the international community must firmly demand that concrete sanctions be imposed against Rwanda to secure a lasting peace in the country. In response, the DR Congo foreign ministry welcomed the sanctions and urged Rwanda to honour its commitments under the Washington Accords.
Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo stated that Rwanda remains ready to fully implement the Washington Accords, concurrently with the willingness of the DRC to fulfill those commitments. She also cited the presence of the FDLR militia in eastern DR Congo as a security threat, which Kigali considers a justification for its military posture. The FDLR is a militia linked to perpetrators of Rwanda's 1994 genocide.
The US also sanctioned Zigama Credit and Savings Society, a financial institution serving Rwanda's security services. Washington alleges it facilitated tens of millions of dollars in transactions for M23 and its political wing, the Congo River Alliance, helped pay for military equipment for Rwandan forces from China and enabled gold to be transported from rebel-controlled areas to Kigali.
The sanctions freeze the designated entities' assets under US jurisdiction and generally prohibit US individuals and businesses from conducting transactions with them, unless authorised or exempt. Pressure is also mounting over Rwanda's international sports partnerships, with two US senators urging the National Basketball Association (NBA) to reconsider its commercial relations with Kigali, questioning whether it aligns with the league's stated commitment to human rights.
Key points
- The US has imposed sanctions on Rwanda's defence ministry over alleged support for M23 rebels in eastern DR Congo.
- The sanctions aim to reinforce the Washington Accords and pressure Rwanda to withdraw its troops from eastern DR Congo.
- The move has sparked reactions from both DR Congo and Rwanda, with DR Congo welcoming the sanctions and Rwanda stating its readiness to implement the Washington Accords.
