The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on Rwanda’s defence forces and four senior military officials over their alleged role in the escalating conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, calling for their immediate withdrawal from the volatile, mineral-rich region.
Washington said Rwanda’s military activities were undermining a peace agreement signed in December last year between Kigali and Kinshasa, a deal brokered by the US. At the time, President Donald Trump described the accord as a “great miracle” following years of bloodshed in eastern Congo, warning that any party found violating its terms would face severe consequences.
However, tensions resurfaced shortly after the agreement was signed, when Rwanda-backed M23 rebels seized Uvira, a strategic city in the east, before later withdrawing amid pressure from Washington. Rwanda has consistently denied supporting the rebel group, but the US Treasury Department maintained that the M23’s territorial advances would not have been possible without backing from Kigali.
The M23, which is sanctioned by both the United States and the United Nations, has been accused of committing grave human rights abuses. US State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the group was responsible for “horrific human rights abuses, including summary executions and violence against civilians, including women and children.”
In response, the Rwandan government rejected the sanctions, arguing that they unfairly target only one side of the conflict and distort the reality on the ground. Kigali said it remains “fully committed to disengagement of its forces in tandem with the DRC implementing their obligations” under the US-led mediation process.
Rwanda also accused the Congolese government in Kinshasa of failing to uphold its commitments, including ending alleged support for armed militias operating in the eastern DRC.
The sanctions mark a significant strain in relations between Rwanda and Western allies, particularly the United States, with which Kigali has maintained close diplomatic and security ties for decades. President Trump had previously framed the December peace deal as an opportunity to secure access to critical minerals from the resource-rich DRC.
Under the new measures, any assets held in the United States by the Rwanda Defence Force or the sanctioned officers will be frozen, and American individuals and entities will be prohibited from engaging in financial transactions with them.
Melissa Enoch
