WASHINGTON — The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on Rwanda's Ministry of Defence over the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), stepping up pressure on Kigali to end the fighting, Reuters reported.
The US Treasury Department said the ministry directed the Rwanda Defence Force — which Washington had already sanctioned — to deploy thousands of troops across eastern Congo's North and South Kivu provinces, where they conducted operations alongside the rebels and provided the armed group with military equipment and other support, according to the Treasury statement cited by Reuters.
"Rwanda must halt its support for M23 and withdraw its troops from eastern DRC," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in the statement, adding that the action made good on President Donald Trump's promise to hold Rwanda accountable for its commitments under the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity.
Bank also sanctioned over weapons payments and gold
Washington also sanctioned Zigama Credit and Savings Society, a Rwandan financial institution the Treasury said operates on behalf of the country's security services and played a key role in facilitating Rwanda's support for the rebels. The Treasury accused Zigama of facilitating payments to entities in China and other countries for weapons, ammunition and other military equipment for the Rwanda Defence Force, and said a Zigama branch enabled the transportation of gold from rebel-controlled territory in Congo to Rwanda. Zigama's chief executive did not immediately respond to a request for comment, Reuters reported.
Rwanda denies backing the Refoundation of the Nation rebels, formerly known as AFC-M23. Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo said the Washington Accords contain commitments on the neutralisation of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) — a Hutu militia rooted in the 1994 genocide — that remain unmet, and that Rwanda remains ready to fully implement the accords alongside the DRC fulfilling its commitments. Congo's foreign ministry welcomed the sanctions, saying they send a clear message that Rwanda cannot act with impunity and must withdraw its troops from the DRC.
The Trump administration brokered the Washington Accords, signed by the DRC and Rwanda in 2025 to end the fighting, but Reuters reported those efforts have so far brought little change on the ground, where clashes continue in eastern Congo.