The U.S. Treasury Department has escalated its pressure on Kigali, slapping sanctions on Rwanda’s defense ministry and the Zigama Credit and Savings Society. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent issued a clear ultimatum: Rwanda must withdraw its troops from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and cease all support for the M23 rebel group.
Washington alleges that Rwandan forces have provided critical logistics, training, and weaponry to M23, which has seized control of vital mineral-rich areas, including gold and coltan mines. The U.S. further contends that Rwanda is laundering conflict minerals through its supply chains to mask the illicit trade.
These sanctions, which freeze assets under U.S. jurisdiction, follow a series of earlier punitive measures against Rwandan military commanders and mining companies.
While the Congolese government welcomes the move, Rwanda maintains that its military presence is a necessary response to the FDLR, a militia linked to the 1994 genocide that continues to operate within Congo. Rwandan spokesperson Yolande Makolo argued that the Washington Accords remain stalled because the DRC has failed to neutralize the FDLR threat.
Meanwhile, the fallout is reaching beyond diplomacy, as U.S. senators pressure the NBA to drop its commercial partnerships with Rwanda, citing the nation's alleged human rights abuses. As M23 aligns with a new rebel coalition seeking to topple the Congolese government, the U.S. is signaling that it will no longer tolerate the destabilization of the region.
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