The sanctions are intended to reinforce the Washington Accords, signed by the Congolese and Rwandan presidents in December 2025 under US mediation. The deal aimed to end the conflict and expand regional trade and investment, but fighting has continued.
On 24 October, ahead of the sanctions announcement, DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi urged the international community to increase pressure on Rwanda.
“We must firmly demand that the international community impose concrete sanctions against Rwanda and exert increased pressure, so that we may finally secure a lasting peace in our country,” he said.
In a statement to Reuters, DR Congo foreign ministry welcomed the sanctions and urged Rwanda to honour its commitments under the Washington Accords, respect the UN Charter and withdraw its troops from Congolese territory.
“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,” Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo told the BBC.
The FDLR is a militia linked to perpetrators of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide. Kigali considers it a security threat and cites its presence in eastern DR Congo to justify its military posture.
“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,” she said.
The US also sanctioned Zigama Credit and Savings Society, a popular bank and financial institution serving Rwanda’s security services.
Washington alleges it facilitated tens of millions of dollars in transactions for M23 and its political wing, the Congo River Alliance, helped pay for military equipment for Rwandan forces from China and enabled gold to be transported from rebel-controlled areas to Kigali.
The sanctions freeze the designated entities’ assets under US jurisdiction and generally prohibit US individuals and businesses from conducting transactions with them, unless authorised or exempt. Violations can result in penalties for US and foreign parties.
The measures follow earlier US sanctions against Rwanda’s army and four senior military commanders in March 2026. The US imposed further sanctions on Gasabo gold refinery and three mining companies accused of smuggling conflict minerals in June 2026.
Pressure is also mounting over Rwanda’s international sports partnerships. Two US senators have urged the National Basketball Association (NBA) to reconsider its commercial relations with Kigali, questioning whether it aligns with the league’s stated commitment to human rights.
In a letter sent to NBA commissioner Adam Silver on 23 October, senators Jeff Merkley and Marsha Blackburn questioned the league’s continued partnership with Rwanda amid allegations of human rights abuses.
The NBA has yet to issue a substantive response to the letter.
Rwanda has used sports high-profile sports sponsorship to raise its international profile. Early this month, it secured a 10-year deal to host Formula 1’s African Grand Prix in the early 2030s.
The country’s sponsorship of Arsenal ended in 2026, while Bayern Munich has also ended its commercial partnership with Visit Rwanda.
The M23 has recently joined a new rebel coalition, known as the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN) and led by former Congolese President Joseph Kabila, which wants to oust Tshisekedi’s government.
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