The United States has imposed sanctions on the Rwanda Defence Force and four top officials for backing the M23 rebel group in eastern DRC.
The sanctioned announced on Monday by the U.S. Treasury Department targeted the Rwandan army as well as four other senior officers including Vincent Nyakarundi, the Army Chief of Staff of the RDF, Ruki Karusisi commander of the RDF’s 5th Infantry Division, Mubarakh Muganga RDF’s Chief of Defence Staff and Stanislas Gashugi (Gashugi), the RDF’s Special Operations Force Commander .
“The RDF is being designated for being responsible for or complicit in, or having engaged in, directly or indirectly, actions or policies that threaten the peace, security, or stability of the DRC; and for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, logistical, or technological support for, or goods or services in support of M23,” the US Treasury Department said.
It also said that Nyakarundi, Karusisi, Muganga, and Gashugi are being sanctioned for being leaders of the RDF, an entity that has, or whose members have, been responsible for or complicit in, or has engaged in, directly or indirectly, actions or policies that threaten the peace, security, or stability of the DRC.
The Rwandan government has on several occasions denied allegations of supporting M23 rebels in eastern DRC.
However, the US Treasury Department said RDF is actively supporting, training, and fighting alongside the March 23 Movement (M23), a U.S.- and United Nations (UN)-sanctioned armed group responsible for human rights abuses and a mass displacement crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
“The RDF has supported M23 as it seized territory in eastern DRC, including provincial capitals Goma and Bukavu, along with strategic mining sites in eastern DRC. M23’s offensives would not have been possible without the active support and complicity of the RDF and key senior officials.”
The US government said days after President Trump hosted his DRC counterpart Felix Tshisekedi and Rwanda’s Paul Kagame to sign a peace agreement in Washington last year, M23 captured Uvira, a strategic city located along the DRC-Burundi border.
“This military offensive resulted in civilian deaths and forced thousands of residents to flee their homes. Despite its subsequent exit from Uvira, M23’s continued presence near the border with Burundi—and the RDF’s continued support for M23—carries the risk of escalating the conflict into a broader regional war.”
The US government said the Rwandan army has provided direct operational support to M23 and its affiliates.
“The RDF has introduced advanced military equipment to the battlefield in eastern DRC, including GPS jamming systems, air defense equipment, drones, and additional materiel. Thousands of RDF troops are deployed across eastern DRC, where they actively engage in combat operations and facilitate M23’s control of territory.”
“ The RDF also provides training to M23 fighters at RDF military centers and supports its recruitment efforts, including the recruitment of refugees.”
Implications
According to the US government, all property and interests in property of the sanctioned officers are blocked.
“In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked.”
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