US slams sanctions on Rwanda over M23 support in eastern DRC

The United States Department of the Treasury has imposed sanctions on Rwanda’s Ministry of Defence and a Rwandan financial institution, Zigama Credit and Savings Society, over their alleged roles in supporting the M23 rebels operating in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sahara Reporters reports.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced the sanctions on Wednesday, accusing the Rwandan defence ministry of directing military operations in eastern DRC and Zigama of facilitating payments for weapons and equipment linked to the rebellion.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the move fulfilled “President Trump’s promise to hold Rwanda accountable” under the Washington Accords signed in December 2025, adding, “Rwanda must halt its support for M23 and withdraw its troops from eastern DRC.”

The department alleged thousands of Rwandan troops had been deployed across North and South Kivu, operating alongside M23 and supplying advanced weaponry, including surface-to-air missile systems.

It also accused Zigama of facilitating payments to companies in China for weapons and arranging transactions worth tens of millions of dollars for M23 and its political wing, the Congo River Alliance, as well as enabling the transport of gold mined in M23-controlled territory to Kigali.

M23 has seized territory across eastern DRC, including Goma and Bukavu, and is accused by the US of extrajudicial killings, forced labour and illegal taxation in areas under its control.

Under the sanctions, all US-based assets of the designated entities must be blocked, with violations attracting civil or criminal penalties for US and foreign persons alike.