The former president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Joseph Kabila, has been hit with sanctions by the United States, which accused him of supporting the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels and its political-military arm, the Congo River Alliance (AFC). The US Treasury Department claims that, among other things, he has provided them with financial and technological support with the intent to destabilise the Kinshasa government, and that he was working to regain influence over the government by backing a candidate opposed to the current leader.
Treasury’s sanctioning of Kabila is part of a broader push to maintain a US-brokered peace deal signed by Rwanda and DRC in Washington in December, which fell apart shortly after it was signed, with fighting continuing in the mineral-rich east of the country. “President Trump is paving the way for peace in the DRC, and he has been clear that those who continue to sow instability will be held accountable,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a statement.
Kabila succeeded his assassinated father as president of the vast nation in 2001, staying in power until 2019 after extending his term beyond the constitutional limit. After going into self-imposed exile, he re-emerged in Goma after the key eastern city was captured by the rebels in January last year. A military court last year sentenced Kabila to death in absentia for treason and other charges over his role with the rebel group, a move that effectively blocks him from any political comeback.
The US sanctions block any assets Kabila has in the United States and would make financial transactions with him a crime in the United States. The Treasury Department said it was believed that Kabila is living in Goma. Donald Trump had voiced hope for a peace deal that would give the United States privileged access to the rich minerals in the eastern DRC. But M23 troops kept advancing even after the accord, leading Washington to condemn Rwanda and slap sanctions on its military in March.
From a geopolitical perspective, the sanctions against Kabila reflect the intensifying international pressure on actors destabilising eastern DRC. The region’s mineral wealth, including cobalt, copper, and gold, is critical to global technology supply chains, making stability there a strategic interest for Western powers. Kabila still has major business interests inside the country, meaning his allies could risk the wrath of US sanctions if they continue to work with him.
