US sanctions Rwandan firms over illicit mineral financing of eastern Congo conflict

Washington has announced new sanctions targeting three Rwandan firms it alleges have facilitated the financing of armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo through the illicit trade of conflict minerals. The measures, issued by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), freeze any assets the companies hold under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibit American persons and entities from conducting transactions with them.

According to the Treasury’s statement, the sanctioned entities—Rwanda Mining and Trading Company, Rwandan Minerals Export Ltd., and Kivu Minerals Trading—were identified as key intermediaries that moved tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold from mines in eastern Congo to international markets, thereby providing revenue streams to militias that have been responsible for widespread human rights abuses. The United States said the sanctions aim to disrupt the financial networks that sustain conflict and to encourage greater transparency in the regional mineral supply chain. Rwanda’s government has denied any involvement in illicit activities and indicated it will review the allegations, while regional partners and industry groups have called for continued cooperation to address the complex challenges of conflict‑resource trade.