US Sanctions Rwanda Defence Ministry Over M23 Support in Eastern Congo

Photo: AFP via LBCI

The United States imposed sanctions on Wednesday on Rwanda's Ministry of Defence and a Rwandan financial institution, accusing them of supporting the M23 rebel group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) named the Rwandan Ministry of Defence and Zigama Credit and Savings Society in the new action, according to the Treasury's own announcement. Reuters reports that the move is the latest in a series of Congo-related sanctions.

Main News Report

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States was making good on President Donald Trump's promise to hold Rwanda accountable for its commitments under the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity. "Rwanda must halt its support for M23 and withdraw its troops from eastern DRC," Bessent said.

The Rwandan Ministry of Defence is the umbrella body for Rwanda's security services, including the Rwanda Defence Force, which OFAC already sanctioned on 2 March 2026. Treasury says that at the ministry's direction, the defence force has deployed thousands of troops across eastern Congo's North and South Kivu provinces, where they operate alongside M23 and provide the group with military equipment, supplies, logistical support and training.

Treasury also says the defence force has introduced advanced weaponry to the battlefield, including surface to air missile systems and jamming equipment, creating risks for civilian aviation in eastern Congo.

Zigama Credit and Savings Society, a Rwandan financial institution that operates on behalf of Rwanda's security services, was sanctioned for facilitating payments to entities in China and other countries for weapons, ammunition and other military equipment for the defence force, and for payments for defence force travel and accommodation for training. Treasury says a Zigama branch enabled the transport of gold sourced from M23-controlled territory in eastern Congo to Kigali, and that Zigama facilitated financial transactions for M23 and the Congo River Alliance amounting to tens of millions of dollars.

Background Context

M23, the March 23 Movement, is a US and United Nations designated armed group that has illegally seized territory in eastern Congo. Its rebellion re-emerged in 2021, and in early 2025 it captured Goma and Bukavu, the provincial capitals of North and South Kivu. It has also taken control of mining areas, including gold mines in South Kivu and Rubaya, a large coltan mining area in North Kivu.

Treasury says civilians in M23-controlled mining areas have faced forced labour, dangerous working conditions and illegal taxation, and that minerals from M23 territory are integrated into supply chains in Rwanda, whose domestic mining capacity is smaller than the export volumes reported since the rebellion began.

The Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity were signed by the Congolese and Rwandan heads of state on 4 December 2025, brokered by the United States. The accords were meant to pave the way for a peaceful resolution in eastern Congo and included a regional economic framework for trade, investment and transparency in critical minerals supply chains.

On 12 October, the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation announced its formation as the successor to the Congo River Alliance, M23's political wing.

Reactions and Statements

Reuters reports that spokespeople for the Rwandan and Congolese governments did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the new sanctions. Rwanda has previously denied backing M23, and Kigali has in the past called earlier US sanctions unjust, saying they misrepresent the conflict.

Treasury's statement is blunt about what it expects next. It says Rwanda must halt its support for M23 and withdraw its troops from eastern Congo, in line with the Washington Accords. The sanctions block all property and interests in property of the designated persons in the United States or in the possession or control of US persons, and generally prohibit US persons from transactions involving them.

Why This News Matters

Sanctioning a country's defence ministry, not just individual officers, is a sharp escalation. It signals that Washington now treats Rwanda's support for M23 as state policy, not the work of a few commanders. The earlier March sanctions targeted the defence force and four senior officers; this round goes to the ministry above them and to the financial channel that Treasury says paid for weapons and moved gold.

The mineral angle is why the conflict draws in far more than the two countries fighting it. Eastern Congo holds some of the world's richest deposits of coltan, gold and other minerals used in phones and batteries. When an armed group controls mines and a neighbouring state's financial system moves the proceeds, the war funds itself, and peace deals struggle to stick.

For ordinary people in North and South Kivu, the stakes are immediate. M23's advances in early 2025 displaced large numbers of civilians, and Treasury's own account describes human rights abuses, forced labour and a severe humanitarian crisis marked by mass displacement.

Future Developments

Watch for Rwanda's formal response, which had not come by the time of the announcement, and for any reaction from Kinshasa. The next test is on the ground: whether Rwandan troops pull back from eastern Congo and whether M23 stops advancing, as the Washington Accords require.

Further US or European action is also possible if the fighting continues. Treasury notes that the ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish but to bring about a change in behaviour, and that designated persons can petition for removal from the list. For now, the sanctions add financial pressure on the ministry and on Zigama, and they put banks and companies dealing with either on notice.

Sources

• US Department of the Treasury: Treasury sanctions Rwandan Ministry of Defence and financial institution supporting M23
• Reuters: US imposes sanctions on Rwanda's ministry of defense

Related reading on PakInsight Hub: Qatar gives Iran new peace deal to end war with US and Israel, US warns Gulf states to prepare for short, intense Iran campaign after midterms and Syria Jordan border reopens as Nassib crossing resumes traffic after deadly strikes.

#WorldNews #BreakingNews #Rwanda #Congo #Sanctions #M23 #USNews