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Critical Minerals · DRC Conflict · Rwanda · Sanctions
The United States imposed sanctions on Rwanda's military, the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), and four senior officers, including army chief Vincent Nyakarundi, accusing them of violating a peace agreement in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by actively supporting the M23 armed group.
The mineral-rich eastern DRC has endured decades of conflict, with violence escalating last year as the Rwandan-backed M23 group captured strategic mines and towns, displacing thousands of people. Despite US President Donald Trump brokering a peace deal in December, the M23 seized the key Congolese city of Uvira days later, as noted by the State Department.
The sanctions block any assets held by the RDF or the four officers in the United States and criminalize related financial transactions. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent explicitly demanded the immediate withdrawal of thousands of RDF troops, weapons, and equipment from eastern DRC, where they engage in combat operations and facilitate M23's territorial control.
Rwanda stated the US sanctions "unjustly targeting only one party" and "misrepresent the reality," asserting its involvement is solely to protect against remnants of the 1994 genocide and denying direct military engagement. Conversely, the DRC government expressed "deep appreciation," calling the sanctions a "clear signal of support" for its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
