The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has publicly supported recent US sanctions imposed on Rwanda, arguing that the measures are a necessary response to Kigali's repeated breaches of a Washington-brokered peace agreement. Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, in an interview with Agence France-Presse (AFP), stated that the sanctions are a vital tool to establish accountability, as Rwanda has failed to honour its commitment to withdraw troops currently stationed within Congolese territory.
Under the terms of the peace deal, which was endorsed by both nations in December, Rwanda was expected to remove its forces from the DRC. In return, Kinshasa pledged to neutralise the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group operating in the eastern DRC. The FDLR was founded by former Rwandan Hutu officials linked to the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. Kigali has long used the presence of this militia as a condition for its continued military involvement across the border, a claim Kinshasa insists is merely a pretext for violating its territorial sovereignty.
The United States government announced sanctions on Wednesday targeting the Rwandan defence ministry and a specific financial institution. Washington cited evidence of their alleged links to the M23 armed group, which has been active in the eastern DRC since 2021. The M23 rebellion has led to significant instability in the region, particularly in North and South Kivu, where the group and Rwandan forces captured provincial capitals Goma and Bukavu during an offensive in early 2025. While the front lines have since stabilised, clashes continue to affect the local population.
Minister Wagner emphasised that the Congolese government is actively working to neutralise the FDLR to remove any justification for Rwandan military occupation. She noted that her administration is committed to the terms of the Washington agreement, asserting that the sanctions serve as a formal recognition of the ongoing violations by Kigali. According to Wagner, the fact that international measures are now in place establishes the truth regarding the illegal presence of foreign troops in Congolese territory.
The internal political landscape in the DRC has further complicated the crisis. Former president Joseph Kabila has reportedly aligned himself with the Rwanda-backed M23 movement, forming a group known as the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation. This faction has vowed to challenge the current government in Kinshasa through various means, including the use of force. Addressing the involvement of external actors and political figures in the insurgency, Wagner warned that those who assist in the violence will eventually face the consequences of their actions.
Looking ahead, the humanitarian situation in the eastern DRC remains a critical concern, with the region's mineral-rich territories continuing to be a focal point for the conflict. The DRC government maintains that no regional population would support the suffering caused by the ongoing violence. As diplomatic and economic pressure from the United States mounts, the conflict in the eastern provinces remains at a precarious crossroads, with the international community closely monitoring whether these sanctions will compel a shift in regional military strategies.
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