US Sanctions Ex-DRC President Kabila for M23 Support

The United States imposed sanctions on Thursday against former Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila, accusing him of providing financial and political support to armed groups fueling violence in the country's east.

The Treasury and State departments announced the measures, which freeze any assets Kabila holds in the United States and prohibit American financial institutions from transacting with him. Officials stated that Kabila has backed the M23 rebels, who control key areas including the eastern city of Goma, making the groups principal drivers of regional instability. The Treasury Department said Kabila returned to Goma with the intent to destabilize the country, offering funds to the M23's political arm, encouraging defections from Congolese armed forces and attacks against them.

The action supports a U.S.-mediated peace agreement between Congo and Rwanda, known as the Washington Accords, announced last December. That deal aimed to end the long-running conflict in eastern Congo, but violations have persisted, including M23 advances. The United States previously sanctioned Rwanda's military in March over similar concerns.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said...