The United States has imposed sanctions on the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) and four of its senior military officials, accusing them of actively supporting the M23 rebel group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in violation of a US-brokered peace agreement.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced the measures, targeting Army Chief of Staff Vincent Nyakarundi, Maj. Gen. Ruki Karusisi, Chief of Defense Staff General Mubarakh Muganga, and Special Operations Force Commander Brig. Gen. Stanislas Gashugi.

Officials in Washington say the sanctions respond to what they describe as direct Rwandan military involvement in Congolese territory.

The US Treasury Department stated that the RDF has been “actively supporting, training and fighting alongside” the M23, a group already designated as a terrorist organisation by both the United States and the United Nations.

According to the official statement published on the Treasury Department website, the rebels’ recent territorial gains would not have been possible “without the active support and complicity of the RDF.”

“Today, the United States is sanctioning the Rwandan Defence Force and four senior RDF officers for their direct operational support to the March 23 Movement and its affiliates in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo,” the Treasury Department said in its designation announcement.

Treasury Secretary demands immediate withdrawal of Rwandan troops

The sanctions block any US-based assets held by the RDF or the named individuals and criminalise financial transactions with them.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent delivered a clear ultimatum regarding Rwandan military presence in Congolese territory.

“We expect the immediate withdrawal of Rwandan Defense Force troops, weapons and equipment,” Bessent said, warning that Washington would use “all tools at its disposal” to enforce compliance with the Washington Accords.

The December agreement, signed under the auspices of President Donald Trump, brought together DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame in what Trump had predicted would be a “great miracle” for the resource-rich but conflict-ravaged region.

State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott elaborated on the rationale behind the sanctions, emphasising the human cost of the ongoing conflict.

He said the action follows evidence that Rwandan-backed forces have committed serious abuses.

“The continued backing from the RDF and its senior leadership has enabled M23 to capture DRC sovereign territory and continue these grave abuses,” Pigott stated.

He further accused the rebel group of widespread atrocities.

“M23, a US- and UN-sanctioned entity, is responsible for horrific human rights abuses, including summary executions and violence against civilians, including women and children,” Pigott added .

The US also accused the RDF of enabling M23 to seize strategic territory, including the provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu, as well as critical mining sites in eastern Congo .

Timing of sanctions follows violations of peace accord

The sanctions come after what Washington describes as repeated violations of the December peace deal.

According to the US Treasury Department, just days after Trump presided over the 4 December 2025 signing of the Joint Declaration, Rwanda-backed M23 fighters captured the Congolese city of Uvira a move the State Department said was “in clear violation of the Washington Accords” .

The State Department warned that the rebels’ continued presence near Burundi’s border “carries the risk of escalating the conflict into a broader regional war.”

The Rwandan government has consistently denied providing direct support to the M23.

In response to the sanctions, Kigali issued a statement rejecting the US action, saying it “misrepresent the reality and distort the facts of the conflict.”

Rwanda’s statement said Kigali was “fully committed to the disengagement of its forces in tandem with the DRC implementing their obligations” under US-led mediation.

The government has instead demanded that Kinshasa clamp down on Hutu militants linked to the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), some of whose members participated in the 1994 genocide against Tutsis.

The sanctions add fresh diplomatic tension to an already fragile security situation in eastern DRC, where fighting involving armed groups has displaced thousands.

Congolese authorities have welcomed the US action, seeing it as crucial leverage to force Rwandan withdrawal.

The conflict has contributed to one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.

According to the UN refugee agency, more than seven million people have been displaced, and thousands have been killed.

Recent discoveries of mass graves near Uvira containing at least 171 bodies underscore the violence plaguing the region.

The sanctions follow earlier US measures imposed in late February against Rwandan Minister of State for Regional Integration James Kabarebe and M23 political spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka, signalling escalating Washington pressure on Kigali over the conflict.

“As President Trump has made clear, the United States is prepared to use all available tools to ensure the DRC and Rwanda deliver on the promises of this historic agreement,” Pigott concluded.