The United States Department of the Treasury has imposed sanctions on Rwanda-based Gasabo Gold Refinery Ltd and a network of Rwandan mining companies over allegations of facilitating the illicit trafficking of minerals from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) areas controlled by the March 23 Movement/Alliance Fleuve Congo (M23/AFC) rebels.
In a statement released on Thursday night, the U.S. government says Gold extracted from mines under M23/AFC control in South Kivu Province was transported under the escort of the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) to Rusizi before being shipped to Gasabo Gold Refinery in Kigali. According to the statement, at least 60 kilograms of gold worth several million dollars had passed through this route by early 2026.
The sanctions also target Gasabo Gold Refinery Chairman Jean Malic Kalima, Managing Director Bosco Kayobotsi, and three mining companies allegedly controlled by Kalima, Bugambira Mines Limited, Wolfram Mining and Processing Limited, and Rwinkwavu Mining Corporation Limited. According to the U.S. Treasury, all assets belonging to the sanctioned entities and individuals within the United States have been frozen, and they are prohibited from conducting transactions with U.S. persons.
The statement quotes U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent as saying that the United States will not allow armed groups to profit from the illicit mineral trade and destabilize the region. The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s mineral wealth rightfully belongs to the Congolese people,” Bessent says adds that under President Donald Trump’s leadership, the United States will continue taking decisive action against individuals and entities that enable violence, exploitation, and attacks against the Congolese population.
The Treasury Department further states that M23/AFC, which has been designated as an armed group by both the United States and the United Nations, has committed numerous human rights abuses and continues to undermine regional peace efforts. According to the statement, the group’s control and trafficking of illicit minerals directly finance its operations and exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in the DRC.
Neither the Government of Rwanda nor M23/AFC had issued an official response to the sanctions by press time. The United States has previously sanctioned several senior leaders of the rebel movement.
In December 2025, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the United States signed a strategic minerals partnership agreement, which was further strengthened in early 2026. The agreement seeks to secure Western supply chains for critical minerals, including cobalt, copper, manganese, and lithium.
Meanwhile, on Thursday evening, M23/AFC spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka accused the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) and its allied forces of integrating fighters from the P5 armed group led by Kayumba Nyamwasa and carrying out fresh bomb attacks that allegedly damaged Minembwe General Reference Hospital.
Kanyuka said the repeated targeting of the hospital could not be regarded as a military error but rather formed part of what he described as a deliberate campaign of persecution and violence against civilian populations. The renewed fighting continues to undermine hopes for a lasting settlement through ongoing regional peace initiatives, with both sides repeatedly accusing each other of violating ceasefire agreements.
The Congolese government has consistently accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebellion, allegations that have been repeatedly denied by both the Rwandan government and M23/AFC leaders. M23/AFC maintains that its armed struggle is aimed at addressing corruption, xenophobia, and discrimination in the DRC. In early 2025, the rebel movement launched a rapid offensive across eastern Congo, capturing several strategic towns and raising fears of a wider regional conflict-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
