NAIROBI (Kaab TV) – The U.S. Department of the Treasury has imposed sanctions on Rwanda’s Minister of State for Regional Integration, James Kabarebe, and a senior member of an armed group for their alleged roles in the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The sanctions come amid an intensifying M23 rebel offensive, which has triggered a mass displacement of civilians into neighboring Burundi.
In a statement issued Thursday, the Treasury Department said Kabarebe, a former army chief, was being sanctioned for his “central role in Rwanda’s support” for the M23 armed group.
“James Kabarebe is central to his country’s support for M23,” the statement emphasized.
Also targeted was Lawrence Kanyuka Kingston, a senior figure and spokesperson for the Congo River Alliance—which includes the M23—along with two companies he controls in the United Kingdom and France.
Kingston, a British national born in 1970, is an engineer who previously managed a company in London.
The Treasury Department stressed that the sanctioned individuals and entities were “linked to violence and human rights abuses” in the DRC.
“Today’s action underscores the need for Rwanda to return to negotiations under the Angola-led Luanda Process to achieve a resolution to the conflict in eastern DRC,” the statement read.
Rwanda has not immediately responded to the sanctions.
However, Kigali has consistently denied accusations from the United Nations, the U.S., and several other countries that it provides military support to the M23.
Rwanda, in turn, accuses the DRC of harboring the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group composed of Hutus who participated in the 1994 Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi.
The DRC government in Kinshasa claims Rwanda harbors “expansionist ambitions” and is exploiting Congolese mineral wealth. A recent UN report revealed that M23 rebels illicitly exported 150 tonnes of coltan to Rwanda in 2024.
Germany summons Rwanda ambassador
Meanwhile, Germany announced on Thursday that it had summoned the Rwandan ambassador to Berlin in response to the M23’s territorial gains in eastern DRC.
“Backed by Rwanda, the M23 militia continues its offensive in eastern DRC. Rwanda must respect the integrity of the DRC and withdraw its troops,” Germany’s Federal Foreign Office said on the social media platform BlueSky. “We strongly condemn this violation of international law and have summoned the Rwandan ambassador.”
Berlin also urged Kinshasa to engage in dialogue with the M23 while acknowledging Rwanda’s “legitimate security concerns.”
The ongoing violence has resulted in the largest refugee influx into Burundi in 25 years. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) reported that approximately 30,000 people had fled the DRC into Burundi to escape the fighting.
“People are still pouring in by the thousands every day,” said Brigitte Mukanga-Eno, UNHCR’s representative in Burundi, during a Wednesday press briefing.