The United States has imposed sanctions on former Democratic Republic of the Congo president Joseph Kabila, accusing him of involvement in the ongoing armed conflict in the country’s east and of supporting rebel groups operating in the region.
According to the U.S. Treasury Department, the Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Kabila for his alleged role in backing the M23 rebel group and the Congo River Alliance, a political–military coalition seeking to overthrow the government in Kinshasa, amid longstanding allegations of support from Rwanda.
The M23 group is one of the most prominent armed factions in eastern Congo and currently controls significant territories, including the cities of Goma and Bukavu. Its activities, alongside allied groups, have fueled escalating violence, resulting in thousands of civilian deaths and mass displacement.
U.S. officials stated that the sanctions are part of broader efforts to hold accountable those destabilizing the region and to support peace agreements brokered by Washington between the DRC and Rwanda in December 2025, which also addressed trade, investment, and critical mineral supply chains.
Under the sanctions, Kabila’s assets in the United States are frozen, and U.S. persons are prohibited from engaging in financial or commercial transactions with him without special authorization. Secondary sanctions may also apply to individuals or entities providing him with support.
The move underscores renewed scrutiny of Kabila’s political role, as he re-emerges amid accusations of attempting to regain influence through support for armed alliances in eastern Congo.