Washington. The US State Department is imposing visa restrictions on several senior Rwandan officials for fueling instability in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement on Friday.
The move comes despite a US-brokered peace agreement signed in December between the governments of DR Congo and Rwanda, aimed at ending years of violence in the mineral-rich eastern region.
According to the US Treasury Department, Rwanda’s military has undermined the deal by training, equipping and fighting alongside the M23 rebel group, which has been at the centre of renewed clashes in eastern DR Congo.
Kigali has strongly rejected the allegations, arguing that the sanctions unfairly target Rwanda and distort the realities of the conflict. The Rwandan government maintains that its military presence near the border is purely defensive, aimed at countering armed groups it says threaten its national security.
The sanctions follow the signing of the Washington Accords by Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame during a ceremony hosted by US President Donald Trump, who described the agreement as “historic” and expressed hope it would bring lasting peace.
Although the M23 rebels were not signatories to the deal, they have been involved in a parallel peace process mediated by Qatar.
Soon after the agreement, however, M23 fighters captured the strategic Congolese city of Uvira near the Burundi border, displacing thousands of civilians before later withdrawing under pressure from Washington.
US officials say the group’s continued presence in the area risks widening the conflict into a broader regional war. The Treasury Department also alleges that M23 operations would not have been possible without the “active support and complicity” of the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF).
The sanctions target Rwanda’s Chief of Defence Staff Mubarakh Muganga, Army Chief of Staff Vincent Nyakarundi, Fifth Infantry Division commander Ruki Karusisi and Special Operations chief Stanislas Gashugi.
Under the measures, any assets they hold in the United States are frozen, and US individuals or organisations are barred from conducting financial transactions with them.
Rwanda responded by accusing the Congolese army of violating ceasefire arrangements through drone strikes and ground offensives, and alleged that Kinshasa has relied on ethnic militias and foreign mercenaries.
Meanwhile, the Congolese government welcomed the sanctions, describing them as a clear sign of US support for the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Trump administration said it remained prepared to use further measures to ensure both countries honour their commitments under the peace deal.
Eastern DR Congo has endured more than three decades of instability since the 1994 Rwandan genocide, with numerous armed groups competing for influence and control of valuable mineral resources such as cobalt and copper, key components in modern batteries.
