The United States imposed sanctions on former Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila on Thursday, accusing him of supporting Rwanda-backed M23 rebels and fuelling political instability in the country’s troubled east.
The U.S. Treasury Department said M23 and its political-military arm, the Congo River Alliance (AFC), had been stoking violent conflict in eastern DRC, resulting in the deaths of thousands of civilians and a mass displacement crisis.
Treasury said Kabila had provided financial support to the AFC in order to influence the political situation in eastern DRC, while encouraging DRC troops to defect and join AFC forces.
It said Kabila was working to regain influence over the government by backing a candidate opposed to the current leader.
DRC Deputy Prime Minister Jacquemain Shabani welcomed what he called a long-delayed U.S. move against Kabila.
"He is the instigator, the initiator, the architect of the destabilisation of Congo," Shabani said. "Mr. Kabila is among those who make achieving peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo difficult and complicated."
Treasury's move to sanction Kabila is part of a broader push to maintain a U.S.-brokered peace deal signed by Rwanda and DRC in Washington in December, which fell apart shortly after it was signed.
Representatives from both countries met in Washington again last month and agreed to take steps to de-escalate tensions and revive the stalled peace process.
Treasury also imposed sanctions last month on the Rwanda Defence Force and top military officials over their role in ongoing fighting in eastern DRC and called for their immediate withdrawal from the mineral-rich region.
"President Trump is paving the way for peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and he has been clear that those who continue to sow instability will be held accountable," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott called on all regional leaders to reject those who perpetuated violence.
"Today's action sends a clear message: We will hold accountable anyone who obstructs peace efforts in the DRC," he said.
Rwanda has long rejected allegations from DR Congo, the United Nations and Western powers that it supports the AFC/M23 rebel group, which staged a lightning offensive last year and now holds more territory in eastern DRC than ever before.
Last year, Kabila was sentenced to death in absentia in a military court in Kinshasa for war crimes, treason, and crimes against humanity. The case stemmed from his alleged role in backing the rebels.
Kabila has denied wrongdoing and said the judiciary has been politicised.
Kabila spent almost two decades in power and only stepped down after deadly protests against him. Since late 2023, he has been residing mostly in South Africa, though he appeared in rebel-held Goma in eastern Congo in May.
The U.S. sanctions, imposed by Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, will freeze any assets held by Kabila in the U.S. and ban all transactions within the U.S. financial system.
The explosion at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday afternoon killed at least 12 people and injured a further 309, according t...
Indian police detained more than 2,000 protesters in Delhi on Saturday as authorities blocked a planned demonstration calling for the resignation o...
At least 12 people, including three children, have been killed in a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, a day after U.S. Presiden...
Leaders of countries from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have agreed to hold coordinated population censuses around 2030. They took the decision at the CIS Council of Heads of State meeting in Awaza, Turkmenistan on Friday, media reported.
The explosion at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday afternoon killed at least 12 people and injured a further 309, according to Saudi Arabia’s Civil Aviation Authority. The airport remains closed until further notice.
Britain and Israel have reached a temporary compromise over the future of the British Consulate General in East Jerusalem, easing a diplomatic dispute that had threatened to further strain relations between the two countries.
South African judge Navanethem “Navi” Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday “for her efforts to promote peace and international law,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee said.
The U.S. has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday (9 October) escalating tensions with European allies and potentially targeting companies that provide services to the tribunal. The move came hours after former ICC judge Navi Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Indian police detained more than 2,000 protesters in Delhi on Saturday as authorities blocked a planned demonstration calling for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over disputed changes to voter lists.
At least 12 people, including three children, have been killed in a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a deal to ease sanctions on Russian diesel.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticised U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to ease sanctions on Russian diesel exports, questioning why Moscow was granted an economic benefit without an apparent concession towards ending the war in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed surprise after Donald Trump mediated the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement in 2025, the U.S. President said at a rally in New York state on Friday.
The United Nations has condemned a sharp rise in attacks on civilians in Ukraine, reporting that more than 100 people were killed and at least 429 injured in a single week as Russian strikes hit residential areas, passenger buses and critical infrastructure.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment