President Kagame at a recent meeting meeting with officers of the Rwanda Defence Force at the Rwanda Military Academy in Gako, Bugesera district – Eastern Province (PHOTO /Courtesy)
BRUSSELS – The European Union has announced sanctions against key Rwandan military figures, a prominent mining executive, and leaders of the M23 rebel group, escalating its response to the deepening crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The move, unveiled on Monday, aims to disrupt the networks fueling the escalating violence, which has seen a resurgence of the M23 and allegations of Rwandan military involvement.
The EU’s measures, including asset freezes and travel bans, target individuals deemed responsible for serious human rights violations, the destabilisation of the DRC, and the exploitation of its natural resources. Among those sanctioned are senior commanders from the Rwandan Defence Force (RDF), including Major General Ruki Karusisi, Major General Eugene Nkubito, and Brigadier General Pascal Muhizi.
The EU statement explicitly linked the RDF commanders to “sustaining the armed conflict, instability and insecurity in the DRC.”
Also targeted was Francis Kamanzi, CEO of the Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board (RMB), and the Kigali-based Gasabo Gold Refinery, both implicated in the illicit trade of conflict minerals, a key source of funding for the conflict.
The EU also imposed sanctions on key figures within the M23 rebel group, including its president, Bertrand Bisimwa, as well as Désiré Rukomera, Colonel John Imani Nzenze, Jean-Bosco Nzabonimpa Mupenzi, and Joseph Musanga Bahati. The EU cited their roles in inciting violence and perpetrating human rights abuses.
“These restrictive measures have been adopted in view of the escalation of the conflict in eastern DRC related to the renewed offensive of the March 23 Movement (M23) / Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC) supported by the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF),” the EU said in a statement.
The sanctions prohibit EU citizens and businesses from providing funds or economic resources to those listed. With these additions, the EU’s DRC sanctions regime now covers 32 individuals and two entities.
The EU’s move reflects growing international concern over the deteriorating security situation in eastern DRC, where civilians continue to bear the brunt of the violence. The legal acts have been published in the Official Journal of the EU.
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