The United States has imposed sweeping sanctions on former Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila, accusing him of providing financial and logistical support to the M23 rebel group.
The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said on Thursday night that it was imposing sanctions on Kabila “for his role in supporting the March 23 Movement (M23) and the Congo River Alliance (Alliance Fleuve Congo, AFC).”
M23 is a Rwanda-backed armed group in eastern DRC while the AFC acts as M23’s political-military coalition, which seeks to topple the government of the DRC.
M23 and AFC have fuelled political instability and violent conflict in eastern DRC, resulting in the deaths of thousands of civilians and a mass displacement crisis.
Washington said the measures, announced on Thursday night, form part of its broader effort to reinforce last year’s US‑brokered peace deal between the DRC and Rwanda.
“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,” said US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.
The US Treasury alleges that Kabila encouraged defections from the Congolese army, channelled funds to the rebels and even sought to initiate attacks on the military from outside the country.
The sanctions freeze all assets he may hold in the United States and bar American citizens and companies from conducting business with him.
Banks and foreign partners have been warned against indirect dealings, with violations carrying potential civil or criminal penalties.
Washington said the measures are intended both to punish and to deter behaviour it views as fuelling conflict in eastern DRC.
Kabila, who ruled the DRC for 18 years until 2019, has not commented yet on the sanctions.
He has long faced allegations of links to the M23, which resurfaced as a major military force in early 2025, seizing large areas of the mineral‑rich east, including major cities.
His appearance in the M23‑held city of Goma a year ago intensified scrutiny.
In September, a Congolese military court sentenced him to death in absentia for war crimes and treason related to alleged support for the rebels – charges he denied, calling the case arbitrary.
Washington said the sanctions also reinforce a regional economic agreement aimed at improving transparency in critical mineral supply chains.
Last December, the US and DRC signed a partnership to expand access to the region’s cobalt, coltan and copper reserves.
Kabila’s current whereabouts remain unknown.
