Kinshasa, Congo — The United States on Monday imposed sanctions against Rwanda’s defense force and top military officials, the US Treasury Department said, accusing Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebel group in eastern Congo, where fighting continues.
“The Rwandan Defense Force is actively supporting, training and fighting with the March 23 Movement (M23), a US- and United Nations-sanctioned armed group responsible for human rights abuses and the mass displacement crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Four individuals have been sanctioned, including Rwandan army chief Vincent Nyakarundi and the chief of defense staff.
Congo, US and UN experts accuse Rwanda of supporting M23, which has grown from hundreds of members to nearly 6,500 fighters in 2021, according to the UN.
More than 100 armed groups are vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo near the border with Rwanda, most prominently the M23. The conflict has created one of the world’s most significant humanitarian crises, with more than 7 million people displaced, according to the UN agency for refugees.
Despite the signing of an agreement between the Congolese and Rwandan governments, and ongoing talks between the US and the rebels and Congo, fighting continues on several fronts in eastern Congo, claiming numerous civilian and military casualties.
“The sanctions issued today by the United States – unfairly targeting only one party to the peace process – misrepresent reality and distort the facts of the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo,” Rwandan government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo said in a statement on Monday.
He accused Congo of violating the peace accord by carrying out “indiscriminate” drone strikes and ground invasions.
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Associated Press reporter Khaled Kazjiha in Nairobi, Kenya contributed to this report.
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