Washington targets Rwanda’s military leadership and a security-linked financial institution over alleged support for rebels in eastern DRC, raising the stakes for a stalled peace agreement.
WASHINGTON— The United States has imposed sanctions on Rwanda’s Ministry of Defence and the financial institution Zigama Credit and Savings Society, accusing them of supporting the M23 rebel movement in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Announced on October 28, the measures mark a further escalation in Washington’s efforts to hold Kigali accountable for its alleged role in a conflict that has continued despite a U.S.-brokered peace agreement.
The U.S. Treasury Department alleges that thousands of Rwandan Defence Force troops have operated alongside M23 in North and South Kivu, providing weapons, military equipment, logistical assistance and training. Washington also accuses Zigama, which serves Rwanda’s security services, of facilitating payments for military procurement and financial transactions worth tens of millions of dollars involving M23 and its political wing, the Congo River Alliance.
The sanctions block assets belonging to the designated entities under U.S. jurisdiction and generally prohibit U.S. persons from conducting transactions with them, subject to applicable exemptions and authorisations. The measures also expose international financial institutions and businesses to potential sanctions risks if they engage in prohibited transactions involving the designated entities.
Washington Accords Under Pressure
The decision directly challenges the gap between diplomatic commitments and developments on the ground. On December 4, 2025, Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame signed the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity, an agreement intended to end the conflict in eastern Congo while strengthening regional trade, investment and cooperation over critical mineral supply chains.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the sanctions fulfil Washington’s commitment to hold Rwanda accountable for its obligations. The administration is demanding that Kigali halt its support for M23 and withdraw its troops from eastern DRC.
The latest action follows sanctions imposed in March 2026 against the Rwanda Defence Force and four senior military officials over their alleged involvement in supporting the rebellion. By targeting the defence ministry itself, Washington is extending pressure beyond individual military personnel to the institutional structures it says enable Rwanda’s involvement in the conflict.
Minerals, Financial Networks and Regional Security
The conflict has a significant economic dimension. Eastern Congo contains important deposits of gold and coltan, a mineral used in the production of electronic components. The U.S. Treasury alleges that gold from mining areas under M23 control has been transported to Kigali through networks involving Zigama, while minerals originating in rebel-held territory enter regional supply chains.
Washington has warned companies and commercial partners to scrutinise their mineral sourcing arrangements. The issue places additional pressure on supply chains connecting the Great Lakes region to international markets, where transparency over the origin of strategic minerals has become an increasingly important concern. The allegations underpinning the sanctions, however, should be distinguished from independently established findings about individual transactions or companies.
The military situation remains fragile. M23 captured the major cities of Goma and Bukavu in 2025, consolidating its position across parts of North and South Kivu. Fighting has continued despite diplomatic initiatives, with Congolese forces, M23 and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) among the actors involved in the wider conflict.
The violence has contributed to mass displacement and a severe humanitarian crisis, while civilians in areas controlled by armed groups face reported abuses, forced labour and illegal taxation.
Kigali Rejects Washington’s Position
Rwanda denies supporting M23 and argues that its own security concerns, particularly the threat posed by the FDLR, must be addressed. Kigali maintains that the DRC has failed to meet its commitments to neutralise the armed group, whose origins are linked to the aftermath of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.
The dispute reflects the central obstacle to implementing the Washington Accords: the two governments continue to accuse each other of undermining regional security, while armed confrontations persist.
The Congolese government welcomed the U.S. sanctions, presenting them as a measure of accountability and calling on Rwanda to honour the agreement and withdraw its forces.
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