The United States has imposed sanctions on Rwanda’s Defence Ministry over alleged support for the M23 rebel group operating in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The move is aimed at increasing pressure on Kigali to withdraw its troops from eastern DR Congo and end its alleged support for the rebels. 

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Rwanda must halt its support for M23 and withdraw its forces from the conflict zone. The sanctions come months after Rwanda and DR Congo signed a United States-brokered peace agreement aimed at ending the conflict. However, fighting has continued since January 2025, when M23 rebels seized the strategic cities of Goma and Bukavu. 

Rwanda has repeatedly denied backing the armed group. According to the US Treasury, Rwanda’s Defence Ministry deployed thousands of troops to fight alongside M23, providing weapons, equipment, logistical support and training. Washington also accused Rwanda of benefiting from minerals extracted from rebel-controlled territories, including gold from South Kivu and coltan from Rubaya, a major mining area. 

The US government alleged that minerals from the affected areas enter Rwanda’s supply chains, claiming that the country exports more minerals than it produces. The sanctions are intended to reinforce the Washington Accords, signed by the Congolese and Rwandan presidents in December 2025 under US mediation.