The United States imposed sanctions on Monday against the Rwanda Defence Force and four of its senior commanders for providing direct support to the M23 rebel group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control designated the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), along with Army Chief of Staff Vincent Nyakarundi, Major General Ruki Karusisi of the 5th Infantry Division, Chief of Defence Staff Mubarakh Muganga, and Special Operations Force Commander Stanislas Gashugi. The sanctions block any U.S.-held property or interests of the designated parties and prohibit American transactions involving them without a license.

U.S. officials accused the RDF of deploying thousands of troops, advanced equipment like drones and GPS jammers, and training M23 fighters, enabling the group to seize key territories, including Goma, Bukavu, and mineral-rich sites. This support facilitated M23's capture of Uvira near the Burundi border days after the December 4, 2025, signing of the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity, hosted by President Donald Trump with DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

The accords called for RDF withdrawal from eastern DRC to foster peace and economic cooperation, particularly over critical minerals like copper and cobalt. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated, “President Trump is the Peace President, and Treasury will use all tools at its disposal to ensure that the parties to the Washington Accords uphold their obligations.” The U.S. demanded immediate RDF withdrawal of troops, weapons, and equipment.

M23, a U.S.- and UN-designated group, has been linked to human rights abuses, including killings and torture, amid a conflict displacing millions in eastern DRC, rooted in decades of instability since the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Recent escalations include M23's drone strike on Kisangani airport over the weekend.

Rwanda rejected the sanctions as "one-sided," claiming they misrepresent the conflict. Kigali denied M23 support, asserting its forces act defensively against DRC-backed threats, and accused Kinshasa of ceasefire violations via drones and militias. Rwanda affirmed its commitment to the accords, conditional on DRC reciprocity.

The DRC government welcomed the measures as support for its sovereignty. Fighting persists despite mediation, with M23 holding unprecedented territory.