U.S. sanctions Rwandan minister, M23 member over conflict in DRC

WASHINGTON,  United States 

The United States Treasury Department issued sanctions Thursday against figures related to M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Treasury announced sanctions against Rwanda Minister of State for Regional Integration General James Kabarebe (pictured above) over alleged support for the M23 movement along with M23 senior member and spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka Kingston and two of his companies were also sanctioned.

Treasury alleged that M23 is responsible for human rights abuses including killings, sexual violence and attacks against civilians that have occurred during its armed rebellion against Congo.

Kabarebe, a former Rwandan general, is a Rwandan government liaison to M23 who orchestrates RDF support for the armed group and manages its generation of revenue from the DRC's mineral resources, coordinating the export of extracted minerals from mining sites in DRC to be exported to Rwanda.

"Today's action underscores our intent to hold accountable key officials and leaders like Kabarebe and Kanyuka, who are enabling the RDF and M23's destabilizing activities in the eastern DRC," said Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Bradley T. Smith in a statement.

Lawrence Kanyuka
Kingston

He added the U.S. is committed to ensuring a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Rwanda.

M23 got started in 2012, was then defeated by Congo's military and the U.N. Force Intervention Brigade and re-emerged in 2021 with Rwandan Defense Force support.

"M23's actions have resulted in the mass displacement of Congolese civilians; the capture of Goma and Bukavu, major urban centers; and the seizure of Rubaya, one of the world's largest mining areas for critical minerals," Treasury said in a Thursday statement.

Treasury said thousands of civilians were killed in M23's capture of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo at the end of January.

The sanctioned companies are Kingston Fresh LTD and Kingston Holding.

According to the Treasury Department Lawrence Kanyuka Kingston is the owner of the companies.

Mass grave in Bukavu, South Kivu

Kingston Fresh is a British-registered company. Kingston Holding is a mining consultancy based in France.

M23 was first designated for sanctions by Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control in 2013.

M23 rebels captured the eastern Democratic Republic Congo city of Bukavu Monday with aid from Rwanda's military.