Washington sanctions former DRC president Kabila over 'support' for rebels
The United States has sanctioned former Democratic Republic of Congo president Joseph Kabila over what it calls his support for Rwanda-backed M23 rebels and their ally, the Congo River Alliance. The move freezes any assets Kabila may hold in the US and bars transactions through the US financial system.
The US Treasury said in a statement on Thursday that Kabila had provided financial support to the Congo River Alliance (AFC) in order to shape political developments in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), while encouraging Congolese troops to defect and join rebel ranks.
The treasury also said the M23 and AFC had fuelled violence that has killed thousands of civilians and triggered a mass displacement crisis.
The sanctions are the latest sign of Washington's hardening stance in a conflict that has repeatedly defied diplomatic efforts.
In March, the US also targeted Rwanda's military and senior officers over their alleged role in the fighting in eastern DRC.
The US backed a peace process that saw Rwanda and the DRC sign the Washington Accords in December 2025, but the agreement soon faltered.
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Kinshasa welcomes decision
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said US President Donald Trump was “paving the way for peace” in the DRC and warned that those who continue to sow instability would be held accountable.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the latest move sent a clear message to regional leaders to reject those who perpetuate violence.
In Kinshasa, Deputy Prime Minister Jacquemain Shabani welcomed what he called a long-overdue American decision. He described Kabila as “the instigator, the initiator, the architect” of the DRC's destabilisation.
The Congolese government has already moved against the former president politically, suspending his party and targeting the assets of its leaders.
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Death sentence
Kabila, who led the DRC from 2001 to 2019, has denied any wrongdoing and said the justice system has been politicised.
He was sentenced to death in absentia by a military court last year for war crimes, treason and crimes against humanity, a case tied to his alleged backing of the rebels.
He has lived mostly in South Africa since late 2023, although he appeared in rebel-held Goma, the capital of the DRC's North Kivu Province, in May last year
Rwanda has long denied allegations from the DRC, the United Nations and Western governments that it supports M23.
The rebel group seized ground rapidly last year and now controls more territory in eastern DRC than at any previous point in the conflict.
(wIth newswires)