US Government Sanctions Rwanda's Defence Ministry, Gives Reason

• The US Treasury's OFAC sanctioned Rwanda's Ministry of Defence and a Rwandan financial institution on October 28, 2026
• The sanctions follow Rwanda's alleged backing of the M23 armed group, which has seized territory and mining areas in eastern DRC
• Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Rwanda must withdraw its troops from eastern DRC and stop supporting M23

The United States Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against Rwanda's Ministry of Defence and a Rwandan financial institution, Zigama Credit and Savings Society, on October 28, 2026, over their roles in supporting the M23 rebel group in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent linked the move directly to an earlier diplomatic agreement.

"Today, the United States makes good on President Trump's promise to hold Rwanda accountable for its commitments under the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity," Bessent said.

"Rwanda must halt its support for M23 and withdraw its troops from eastern DRC."

The Washington Accords were signed by the heads of state of both the DRC and Rwanda on December 4, 2025, and were brokered by the United States to help end the conflict in eastern DRC while also creating an economic framework covering trade, critical minerals, and investment in the Great Lakes Region.

Rwanda's military role in Eastern DRC

M23, designated as an armed group by both the US and the United Nations, has seized major population centres and mineral-rich areas in eastern DRC's North and South Kivu provinces since its rebellion resumed in 2021. The group captured Goma and Bukavu, the provincial capitals of those two provinces, in early 2025.

OFAC said Rwanda's Defence Force (RDF), which was itself sanctioned on March 2, 2026, deployed thousands of troops into the region at the direction of the Rwandan Ministry of Defence. Those troops fought alongside M23 and provided the group with weapons, supplies, training, and logistical support. The RDF also brought surface-to-air missile systems and jamming equipment into the conflict zone, raising safety risks for civilian aircraft.

In areas under M23 control, civilians have faced extrajudicial killings, unlawful detention, torture, forced labour in mining operations, and illegal taxation. The crisis has caused mass displacement across the region.

Zigama's financial and minerals role

Zigama Credit and Savings Society operated on behalf of Rwanda's security services, according to OFAC. The institution processed payments to companies in China and other countries for weapons, ammunition, and military equipment for the RDF. It also covered RDF travel and accommodation costs linked to training activities.

Beyond arms financing, OFAC said a Zigama branch helped move gold sourced from M23-controlled mines in South Kivu province to Kigali. The institution also handled tens of millions of dollars in financial transactions for both M23 and the Congo River Alliance, the political wing of the armed group. On October 12, 2026, a successor organisation called the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation announced it had replaced the Congo River Alliance.

As a result of the designations, all assets held by the sanctioned entities within the United States or under the control of US persons are frozen and must be reported to OFAC. US persons and foreign nationals are barred from conducting transactions with the designated parties, with civil or criminal penalties possible for violations.

See the X post below:

Names of Nigerians on 2026 US sanction list

Legit.ng earlier reported that the United States Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) released a publication running over 3,000 pages, detailing individuals and entities designated under its sanctions programmes. The document served as a reference tool, providing notice of actions taken against Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs) whose property and interests were blocked.