The United States announced that it is imposing sanctions on a Rwandan government minister and a senior member of an armed group due to their alleged involvement in the ongoing conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The M23 militant group, which is supported by Rwanda, has recently captured two major cities in eastern DRC, exacerbating the already dire humanitarian crisis and prompting increasing speculation about a potential coup against President Felix Tshisekedi’s government in Kinshasa.
“This aggression has undermined the territorial integrity of the DRC,” said state department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, emphasizing that Rwanda should cease its support for M23 and return to negotiations led by Angola. “This violence risks escalating into a broader regional conflict,” she added.
The US Treasury Department imposed financial sanctions on James Kabarebe, Rwanda’s minister of state for regional integration and a retired general, accusing him of orchestrating Rwanda’s backing of M23. M23 has been under US sanctions since 2013 for alleged human rights violations, including the targeting of children, killing and maiming civilians, and sexual violence. According to the Treasury, Kabarebe is also responsible for managing the financial operations that fund M23, particularly through the extraction and export of minerals from the DRC.
In addition to Kabarebe, sanctions were also placed on Lawrence Kanyuka Kingston, a senior member and spokesperson for M23 and the Congo River Alliance, along with two companies he controls in the UK and France.
Rwanda has consistently denied allegations from the DRC, the UN, and Western powers that it supports M23 with arms and troops. The Rwandan government argues it is simply defending itself from a Hutu militia, which it claims is fighting alongside the Congolese military. Rwanda’s government spokesperson, Yolande Makolo, criticized the sanctions, calling them “unjustified” and asserting that they undermine efforts for a political resolution. “If sanctions could resolve conflict in eastern DRC, we would have had peace in the region decades ago,” Makolo said in a text message to Reuters.
In contrast, the DRC government welcomed the US sanctions and called for additional measures. “This marks the beginning of a long series of sanctions that we want to be more robust from the UN Security Council, the European Union, and other partners in order to force Rwanda to withdraw its troops and cease its criminal activities on our soil,” said government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya in a statement on social media.