The United States is sanctioning at the present time two individuals and two entities linked to violence and human rights abuses in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This circulation includes designation of Rwanda’s Minister of Voice for Regional Integration James Kabarebe and the M23 and the Congo River Alliance spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka Kingston, alongside two of Kanyuka’s firms, Kingston Original and Kingston Holding.
Since mid-December 2024, the Rwanda-backed armed team M23 has expanded its maintain an eye on via DRC territory, seizing the North Kivu provincial capital of Goma on January 27 and the South Kivu provincial capital of Bukavu on February 16. This aggression has undermined the territorial integrity of the DRC. With Rwanda’s enhance, it has also threatened, injured, killed, and displaced hundreds of innocent civilians, price the lives of three UN peacekeepers and wounded a number of others. This violence risks escalating into a broader regional struggle.
At this time’s circulation underscores the want for Rwanda to come to negotiations below the Angola-led Luanda Process to enact a determination to the struggle in eastern DRC. The United States calls on the leaders of Rwanda to finish their enhance for M23, itself already designated by b
oth the United States and the UN, and withdraw all Rwandan Defense Power troops from DRC territory. We call on Rwanda to admire the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC. We also elope the Governments of Rwanda and the DRC to maintain responsible those accountable for human rights violations and abuses. The persistence of struggle impedes economic pattern and dissuades U.S. businesses from investing in both Rwanda and the DRC—a loss for the region and the American of us.
The Division of the Treasury took actions pursuant to Govt Insist (E.O.) 13413, as amended by E.O. 13671. For added information on at the present time’s circulation, thought Treasury’s press originate.
