Kinshasa welcomes US sanctions targeting Kigali
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Beto, Mediacongo, The Citizen and Actualité.cd
Kinshasa welcomes US sanctions targeting Rwanda's Defence Ministry and Zigama Credit and Savings Society, accused of supporting AFC/M23, according to Beto, Mediacongo, The Citizen and Actualité.cd. The Congolese government repeats US and UN accusations over Rwandan troop deployments, M23 financing and gold transfers to Kigali. Beto dates the statement to 28 October, while Mediacongo and Actualité.cd place it on 29 October.
The Congolese Foreign Ministry on 29 October welcomed the US Treasury Department's decision to sanction Rwanda's Defence Ministry and Zigama Credit and Savings Society, accused of supporting AFC/M23 with the backing of the Rwanda Defence Force, according to Actualité.cd. Beto dates the statement to 28 October, while Mediacongo and Actualité.cd place it on 29 October. Kinshasa thanked Washington and Donald Trump for their commitment to peace and stability in the Great Lakes region.
Actualité.cd describes Zigama as a financial institution for members of Rwanda's security forces. Mediacongo reports that it allegedly facilitated the transfer to Kigali of gold extracted from territories controlled by the M23, while Beto refers to transactions worth several tens of millions of dollars benefiting AFC/M23. The Congolese government also repeats US accusations concerning the deployment of several thousand Rwandan soldiers in North Kivu and South Kivu, operations conducted alongside the M23 and the supply of military equipment.
Kinshasa denounces an international environment that is ‘permissive’ towards Kigali and calls on states, international organisations, commercial partners, sports sponsors and investors to review their relations with Rwanda. The government accuses the Rwandan army and its allies of violating the DRC's territorial integrity, killing civilians, committing sexual violence and looting natural resources, according to Beto, Mediacongo and Actualité.cd.
Actualité.cd reports that the DRC says it is continuing to neutralise the FDLR: more than 800 people, including fighters and their dependants, have allegedly surrendered to MONUSCO since January 2025 following awareness-raising and demobilisation efforts. Kinshasa demands the unconditional withdrawal of Rwandan forces, citing the Washington Agreement and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2773, and says their continued presence alongside AFC/M23 obstructs the neutralisation of the FDLR.
