U.S. Sanctions Rwanda’s Defense Ministry and Zigama Amid Transactions Worth Tens of Millions

Key Facts

On October 28, 2026, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions on Rwanda’s Ministry of Defense and Zigama Credit and Savings Bank. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington was carrying out President Donald Trump’s promise to hold Rwanda accountable for its commitments under the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity. Treasury estimated that transactions facilitated by the institution for the benefit of the M23 movement and the Congo River Alliance were worth tens of millions of dollars. The move expands the scope of the measures to include a financial institution alongside the Ministry of Defense, as fighting continues in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Bessent called on Rwanda to stop supporting the movement and withdraw its forces from the east of the country.

Treasury accused the Rwanda Defence Force of deploying thousands of troops in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, operating alongside M23 and providing it with military equipment, supplies, logistical support and training. It said the forces had brought surface-to-air missile systems and jamming equipment to the battlefield, adding that this creates risks for civil aviation in eastern Congo. Washington says the institution facilitated payments to entities in China and other countries to buy weapons, ammunition and military equipment for the Rwanda Defence Force. It also said the institution facilitated travel and accommodation expenses related to training. The allegations describe the institution as part of a financial and logistical channel that Washington says supports military operations in the region.

In an allegation related to natural resources, Treasury said one of Zigama’s branches enabled gold sourced from areas under M23 control in eastern Congo to be transferred to Kigali. It also said the movement had taken control of mining sites in the region, including gold mines in South Kivu and the coltan-rich Rubaya area in North Kivu. The department said civilians in mining areas under the movement’s control faced forced labor, dangerous working conditions and illegal taxation. These allegations come amid a broader context of U.S. sanctions related to mineral smuggling between Congo and Rwanda. On June 25, 2026, Treasury targeted a network it said had worked with M23 to smuggle minerals, and reported that at least 60 kilograms of gold had been transferred to the Gasabo Gold refinery at the beginning of the year.

The U.S. sanctions require the blocking of the property and interests in property of designated entities that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons, and require that they be reported to the Office of Foreign Assets Control. Transactions involving blocked entities are also generally prohibited unless authorized or exempted. The inclusion of a financial institution in these measures comes as Treasury says Zigama facilitated transactions worth tens of millions of dollars for the benefit of M23 and the Congo River Alliance. Under the department’s wording, the restrictions extend to transactions within U.S. jurisdiction or involving U.S. persons. Zigama did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the sanctions.

The presidents of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda signed the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity on December 4, 2025, with U.S. mediation. The accords included a regional economic framework for trade and investment and transparency in critical-mineral supply chains. But the M23 movement seized Goma and Bukavu, the capitals of North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, in early 2025, according to Treasury. Reuters said the movement controls large areas of the two provinces after advancing and seizing the two largest cities in eastern Congo. The United Nations and Western governments say Rwanda supports the movement, while Kigali denies this.

Reuters said fighting continued despite mediation efforts, including those led by the United States, and that those efforts had brought little change on the ground by that point. Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo responded that her country was ready to implement the Washington Accords as the Democratic Republic of the Congo prepared to meet its commitments, and called on the mediator to hold all parties accountable. Congo’s foreign ministry welcomed the sanctions, saying they sent a clear message that Rwanda could not act without accountability. The ministry called on Rwanda to respect the United Nations Charter and withdraw its forces from Congo. Treasury’s statement did not specify a date for further negotiations or a next step in implementing the accords.