US sanctions Rwanda minister over DRC fighting
Al Jazeera2 days
DR Congo: US Sanctions Rwanda Minister Over Alleged M23 Support
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Above: A fire set by M23 rebel officials to incinerate items seized from an abandoned Congolese National Police post burns in city streets on Feb. 20, 2025 in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo. Image copyright: Hugh Kinsella Cunningham/Stronger/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
The US Treasury Department on Thursday imposed sanctions against Rwanda's Minister for Regional Integration James Kabarebe, accusing him of playing a "central" role in the East African country's alleged support for the Congolese anti-government March 23 Movement (M23) militia.
The sanctions also targeted the spokesperson for M23 and the Congo River Alliance rebel coalition, Lawrence Kanyuka Kingston, and two companies he controls in the UK and France, with Washington alleging their involvement in violence and human rights abuses in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The US urged Kigali to respect the DRC's "sovereignty and territorial integrity" and to return to talks. The M23 recently captured two major eastern DRC cities — Goma and Bukavu — resulting in over 3K deaths and more than 500K people displaced.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
Rwanda's involvement in eastern DRC is purely defensive, aimed at securing its borders against threats from FDLR genocidal militia operating within the Congolese army. The sanctions are unjustified and undermine regional diplomatic efforts toward a peaceful solution. The international community has failed to address the root causes of the conflict by ignoring hostile forces threatening Rwanda's security.
Pro-establishment narrative
Rwanda's military support for M23 rebels constitutes a blatant violation of DRC's territorial integrity and has resulted in widespread civilian casualties, displacement, and human rights abuses. The Rwandan government is exploiting the conflict to illegally extract mineral resources from DRC, requiring robust international sanctions to end its destabilizing activities.
