The U.S. Treasury Department on Monday imposed sanctions on the Rwanda Defence Force and four of its senior commanders, citing allegations that they have “threatened the peace, security or stability” of the Democratic Republic of the Congo by supporting the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group.
In a brief announcement posted on its website, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said the sanctions target:
- Vincent Nyakarundi, Army Chief of Staff of the Rwanda Defence Force
- Mubarakh Muganga, Chief of Defence Staff
- Ruki Karusisi, Major General and commander of the RDF’s 5th Infantry Division
- Stanislas Gashugi, Special Operations Force Commander
The designations block any property or interests in property of those named that are in the United States or controlled by U.S. persons, and generally prohibit U.S. individuals and institutions from engaging in transactions with them.
In a statement accompanying the sanctions, the Treasury said the measures were taken under authorities aimed at “individuals and entities that have engaged in actions or policies that threaten the peace, security, or stability of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.” The department did not provide detailed evidence in the public posting.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the action was intended to reinforce commitments made under a peace agreement signed in Washington last year that calls for the withdrawal of foreign forces and an end to external support for armed groups in eastern Congo.
The accord, known as the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity, was intended to end a renewed cycle of violence that has displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians and drawn in neighbouring states.
The Congo conflict has seen repeated advances by M23 rebels, who seized the provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavuearly this year and briefly captured the city of Uvira before withdrawing under international pressure.
Independent U.N. reports have found evidence of Rwandan forces exercising command and control over some rebel units, an allegation Kigali has consistently rejected.
Treasury did not include a direct quote from senior officials in its public statement but noted that the sanctions are part of ongoing efforts to de-escalate the crisis and support stability in the Great Lakes region.
The sanctions represent one of the most direct actions the United States has taken against Rwanda’s military leadership in connection with the Congo conflict. Past U.S. measures included sanctions in 2025 on Rwanda’s Minister of State for Regional Integration, James Kabarebe, for his alleged role in backing M23, alongside sanctions on a senior M23 figure and related entities.
The sanctions could complicate diplomatic relations between Washington and Kigali at a time when both countries have expressed interest in resolving the long‑running conflict and promoting economic cooperation.
