Madar (International) - The US Treasury on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, sanctioned Rwanda's Ministry of Defence and the Zigama Credit and Savings Society, accusing them of supporting the M23 armed group in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to a Treasury statement.
Treasury said the Rwanda Defence Force, under the ministry's direction, "has deployed thousands of troops across eastern DRC's North and South Kivu provinces" and backs M23 with equipment and training, while Zigama, which operates on behalf of Rwanda's security services, facilitated transactions for M23 and the Congo River Alliance "amounting to tens of millions of dollars".
"Rwanda must halt its support for M23 and withdraw its troops from eastern DRC," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, presenting the sanctions as enforcement of the Washington Accords signed by the two countries' presidents on December 4, 2025.
Washington sanctioned the Rwanda Defence Force itself in March. Kigali denies backing M23 and did not immediately comment on the new sanctions.
