The United States has imposed sweeping sanctions on Rwanda’s Defence Force (RDF) and four of its most senior commanders, accusing Kigali of actively backing the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in a move that marks a sharp escalation of American pressure on President Paul Kagame’s government.
The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said the RDF has supported M23 as it seized territory in eastern DRC, including the provincial capitals Goma and Bukavu, along with strategic mining sites. “M23’s offensives would not have been possible without the active support and complicity of the RDF and key senior officials,” the Treasury said in its statement.
According to OFAC, the RDF has introduced advanced military equipment to the battlefield, including GPS jamming systems, air defence assets, drones, and additional materiel. Thousands of Rwandan troops are alleged to be deployed across eastern DRC, where they actively engage in combat and facilitate M23’s territorial control. The RDF also stands accused of training M23 fighters at Rwandan military centres and supporting the group’s recruitment efforts, including the enlistment of refugees.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent framed the action in direct terms. “We expect the immediate withdrawal of Rwanda Defence Force troops, weapons and equipment,” Bessent said, adding that the department would use all tools available to ensure compliance with the Washington Accords.
The sanctions came days after President Donald Trump hosted Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame at the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity. Almost immediately after the ceremony, M23 captured Uvira near the Burundi border, killing civilians and displacing thousands before later withdrawing.
The four individuals designated are Vincent Nyakarundi, Army Chief of Staff; Ruki Karusisi, Commander of the 5th Infantry Division; Mubarakh Muganga, Chief of Defence Staff; and Stanislas Gashugi, Special Operations Force Commander. Under the measures, any assets or financial interests they hold within the United States are frozen, and American persons and institutions are barred from transacting with them.
Kigali pushed back sharply. Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo said the sanctions “unjustly” targeted Rwanda and “misrepresent the reality and distort the facts of the conflict” in eastern Congo. She accused the DRC of violating the peace agreement by allegedly conducting drone attacks and ground offensives.
Eastern Congo holds vast deposits of coltan, tantalum, and other minerals critical to global technology supply chains. Washington’s statement directly links Rwanda’s military support to alleged access to those mineral-rich territories, a charge Kigali has consistently denied.
The broader humanitarian toll of the eastern Congo conflict remains catastrophic. The United Nations refugee agency estimates that more than seven million people have been displaced by the ongoing violence. Washington warned that further measures could follow if both Rwanda and the DRC fail to honour their obligations under the Washington Accords.
