The U.S. Department of the Treasury has sanctioned Rwanda’s Minister of State for Regional Integration James Kabarebe for the central role he plays in Rwanda’s support for the M23 rebels. It also sanctioned Lawrence Kanyuka, a leading member and spokesperson for the M23 and AFC rebel groups, and two of the companies he controls, Kingston Fresh and Kingston Holding.

“The United States is sanctioning today two individuals and two entities linked to violence and human rights abuses in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This action includes designation of Rwanda’s Minister of State for Regional Integration James Kabarebe and the M23 and the Congo River Alliance spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka Kingston, alongside two of Kanyuka’s companies, Kingston Fresh and Kingston Holding.

“Since mid-December 2024, the Rwanda-backed armed group M23 has expanded its control through DRC territory, seizing the North Kivu provincial capital of Goma on January 27 and the South Kivu provincial capital of Bukavu on February 16. This aggression has undermined the territorial integrity of the DRC. With Rwanda’s support, it has also threatened, injured, killed, and displaced thousands of innocent civilians, cost the lives of three UN peacekeepers and wounded several others. This violence risks escalating into a broader regional conflict.

“Today’s action underscores the need for Rwanda to return to negotiations under the Angola-led Luanda Process to achieve a resolution to the conflict in eastern DRC. The United States calls on the leaders of Rwanda to end their support for M23, itself already designated by both the United States and the UN, and withdraw all Rwandan Defense Force troops from DRC territory. We call on Rwanda to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC. We also urge the Governments of Rwanda and the DRC to hold accountable those responsible for human rights violations and abuses. The persistence of conflict impedes economic development and dissuades U.S. businesses from investing in both Rwanda and the DRC—a loss for the region and the American people,” the U.S. Department of the Treasury said in a press statement.

James Kabarebe is a central political and military figure in Rwanda. He has played key roles in the conflicts in DR Congo over the past three decades.

He is the liaison between the Rwandan government and the M23 rebels and orchestrates the Rwandan army's support for the armed group. In addition, Mr. Kabarebe manages much of the revenue that Rwanda and the M23 rebels derive from the DRC's mineral resources. He has coordinated the export of minerals extracted from mining sites in the DRC for eventual export from Rwanda.

For his part, Mr. Kanyuka is sanctioned as the spokesperson for the M23 rebel group which has occupied several territories in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.

These sanctions result in the freezing of all assets and interests of James Kabarebe and Lawrence Kanyuka in the United States.