US sanctions Rwanda’s defence ministry and the Zigama bank over support for M23 in eastern Congo

ADDIS ABABA — The United States has imposed sanctions on Rwanda’s Ministry of Defence and on Zigama Credit and Savings Society, a financial institution that serves the country’s security services, accusing both of sustaining the M23 rebellion in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced the designations on Wednesday, and both entities now appear on the Specially Designated Nationals list.

“Today, the United States makes good on President Trump’s promise to hold Rwanda accountable for its commitments under the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. “Rwanda must halt its support for M23 and withdraw its troops from eastern DRC.” The accords were signed by the Congolese and Rwandan presidents in Washington on 4 December 2025.

What Washington alleges

Treasury describes the ministry as the umbrella body for Rwanda’s security services and says that, at its direction, the Rwanda Defence Force deployed thousands of troops across North and South Kivu, where they operate alongside M23 and supply the group with equipment, logistics and training. It also says the army introduced surface-to-air missile systems and jamming equipment to the battlefield, creating risks for civilian aviation.

The department links the conflict to minerals. M23 holds gold mines in South Kivu and Rubaya, a major coltan-mining area in North Kivu, and Treasury says minerals from rebel-held territory enter Rwandan supply chains, noting that Rwanda’s reported exports exceed its domestic mining capacity. According to the BBC, Washington alleges that Zigama facilitated tens of millions of dollars in transactions for M23 and its political wing, helped pay for military equipment for Rwandan forces from China, and enabled gold to be moved from rebel-controlled areas to Kigali.

The designations freeze any property of the two entities under US jurisdiction and generally bar US persons from dealing with them. They follow US sanctions on the Rwanda Defence Force and four senior commanders in March, and on the Gasabo gold refinery and three mining companies in June, the BBC reported. Treasury also notes that on 12 October a new grouping, the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation, announced itself as the successor to M23’s political wing, the Congo River Alliance.

Kigali’s answer

Rwanda denies backing M23 and points to the FDLR, a militia with roots in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. “The Washington Accords contain clear commitments regarding Rwanda’s security, specifically the neutralization of the DR Congo-sponsored FDLR genocidal militia, which are wholly unmet, and with no accountability,” government spokesperson Yolande Makolo told the BBC. “Rwanda remains ready to fully implement the Washington Accords, concurrently with the willingness of the DRC to fulfill those commitments, and with the mediator holding all parties accountable.” The Kigali Daily News reported that Zigama’s chief executive did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Kinshasa welcomed the move. Congo’s foreign ministry urged Rwanda to honour its commitments, respect the UN Charter and withdraw its troops, according to a statement cited by the BBC. On 24 October President Félix Tshisekedi had called on the international community to “impose concrete sanctions against Rwanda”.

AB24’s reading from Addis Ababa: sanctioning a sovereign defence ministry, rather than individual commanders, is a step up in Washington’s pressure on the accords it brokered. The measures land as African leaders meet in Moscow, where the summit’s draft declaration speaks of mitigating sanctions on African states.

Sources: US Department of the Treasury, 28 Oct 2026; OFAC recent actions, 28 Oct 2026; BBC News, 28 Oct 2026; Kigali Daily News, 28 Oct 2026.

— AB24 · Addis Ababa