US Sanctions Rwanda’s Defence Ministry Over Alleged M23 Support in Eastern Congo

The United States has imposed sanctions on Rwanda’s Ministry of Defence and a Rwandan financial institution, accusing them of supporting the M23 armed group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the US Treasury Department announced on Wednesday.

The measures target the Rwandan Ministry of Defence and Zigama Credit and Savings Society, which Washington says played a key role in facilitating Rwanda’s support for M23 and its political wing, the Congo River Alliance. The announcement marks a sharp escalation of US pressure on Kigali over a conflict that has displaced large numbers of civilians in eastern Congo.

FAKTA

• What happened: The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Rwanda’s Ministry of Defence and Zigama Credit and Savings Society on 28 October 2026.
• Washington’s accusation: The ministry directed the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) to deploy troops alongside M23 in North and South Kivu, while Zigama facilitated payments for weapons and transactions worth tens of millions of dollars for M23 and the Congo River Alliance.
• US demand: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Rwanda must halt its support for M23 and withdraw its troops from eastern DRC.
• Rwanda’s position: Kigali denies backing M23, and spokespeople for the Rwandan and Congolese governments did not immediately respond to requests for comment, Reuters reported.
• Background: M23 captured Goma and Bukavu, the capitals of North and South Kivu, in early 2025, and controls mining areas including gold mines in South Kivu and the Rubaya coltan area in North Kivu.

US Sanctions Rwanda Defence Ministry Over M23 Support

In its announcement, the Treasury Department said the Rwandan Ministry of Defence is the umbrella organisation for Rwanda’s security services, including the RDF, which the US had already sanctioned on 2 March 2026. At the ministry’s direction, the Treasury said, RDF troops deployed thousands of soldiers across North and South Kivu, conducting operations alongside M23 and providing the group with military equipment, supplies, logistical support and training.

Washington also accused the RDF of introducing advanced weaponry to the battlefield, including surface-to-air missile systems and jamming equipment, which it said created risks for civilian aviation in eastern DRC.

“Today, the United States makes good on President Trump’s promise to hold Rwanda accountable for its commitments under the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. “Rwanda must halt its support for M23 and withdraw its troops from eastern DRC.”

The Financial Trail: Zigama and Mineral Revenues

The second target, Zigama Credit and Savings Society, is a Rwandan financial institution that the Treasury says operates on behalf of Rwanda’s security services. According to the department, Zigama facilitated payments to suppliers in China and other countries for weapons, ammunition and other military equipment for the RDF, as well as payments for RDF travel and training.

The Treasury further said a Zigama branch enabled the transport of gold sourced from M23-controlled territory in eastern DRC to Kigali, and that Zigama facilitated financial transactions for M23 and the Congo River Alliance amounting to tens of millions of dollars.

A Conflict Rooted in Eastern Congo’s Mineral Wealth

M23, which the US and the United Nations designate as an armed group, re-emerged in 2021 and has since seized key population centres and mining areas in eastern DRC. The Treasury said that in areas under its control, M23 has carried out extrajudicial killings, unlawful detentions and torture, and that civilians in M23-controlled mining areas have faced forced labour, dangerous working conditions and illegal taxation.

The group captured Goma and Bukavu, the provincial capitals of North and South Kivu, in early 2025, according to the Treasury statement. It also took control of gold mines in South Kivu and Rubaya, an expansive coltan-mining area in North Kivu, with minerals from rebel-held territory entering supply chains in Rwanda, the department said.

Washington Accords Under Strain

The sanctions come as fighting continues despite mediation efforts, including those led by the United States. The US-brokered Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity were signed by the DRC and Rwandan heads of state on 4 December 2025, aiming to end the conflict and expand trade and investment in the Great Lakes region.

Under the new measures, all property and interests in property of the designated persons in the United States or in the possession or control of US persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC, and US persons are generally prohibited from transactions involving them. The Treasury said the ultimate goal of sanctions is to bring about a positive change in behaviour.

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