Washington sanctions Rwanda’s Defence Ministry over M23 support
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Treasury, Actualité.cd, Beto and Lepotentiel
The United States has sanctioned Rwanda’s Ministry of Defence and Zigama Credit and Savings Society over alleged support for the M23 and the AFC in eastern DR Congo, according to the US Treasury, Actualité.cd, Beto and Lepotentiel. The sanctions target weapons purchases, financial transfers and the transport of gold extracted from areas controlled by the M23. Lepotentiel also reports a call for Rwandan troops to withdraw and a reminder of the Washington Accords of 4 December 2025.
The US Treasury accuses Rwanda’s Ministry of Defence of directing the deployment of thousands of soldiers to North Kivu and South Kivu, where they operate alongside the M23 and provide it with equipment, supplies, logistics and training. It also says the Rwandan army deployed surface-to-air missile systems and jamming equipment there, posing risks to civil aviation, according to the Treasury, Actualité.cd, Beto and Lepotentiel.
According to the Treasury, Zigama Credit and Savings Society acts on behalf of Rwanda’s security services. The institution allegedly facilitated payments to China and other countries for the purchase of weapons, ammunition and equipment for the Rwanda Defence Force, as well as transactions worth tens of millions of dollars for the M23 and the Congo River Alliance (AFC). A Zigama agency allegedly transported gold extracted from areas controlled by the M23 to Kigali. Lepotentiel notes that these allegations have not been publicly substantiated at this stage.
The sanctions freeze the US assets of both entities, as well as assets held or controlled by US persons. They generally prohibit US persons from carrying out transactions involving them, unless authorised or exempted, Actualité.cd reports. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called on Rwanda to end its support for the M23 and withdraw its troops from eastern DR Congo, citing the Washington Accords signed on 4 December 2025 by the Congolese and Rwandan presidents under US mediation. The accords provide a framework for resolving the conflict and regional economic cooperation, particularly on critical minerals, according to Lepotentiel.
Washington had already sanctioned the Rwanda Defence Force and four of its senior officials on 2 March 2026, Actualité.cd reports. Kigali at the time called the measures unfair and accused the United States of distorting the facts of the conflict, according to Lepotentiel. The Belgian Egmont Institute considers Zigama part of the RDF’s economic network, expanding the scope of the March sanctions, the media outlet adds. The Treasury also accuses the M23 of extrajudicial killings, illegal detention, torture, forced labour and illegal levies in mining areas. The group seized Goma and Bukavu, the respective capitals of North Kivu and South Kivu, at the beginning of 2025, Actualité.cd recalls. The FRN announced its creation on 12 October as the successor to the AFC, the media outlet adds.
