Treasury Sanctions Rebel Commanders Driving Conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

WASHINGTON—Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on commanders of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and the Rwanda-backed March 23 Movement (M23). FDLR and M23 are U.S.- and United Nations (UN)-designated armed groups operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with long histories of human rights abuse and regional destabilization. FDLR and M23 have violently occupied territory and killed civilians in eastern DRC. Today’s action sanctions Gustave Kubwayo, commander of an FDLR intelligence and special operations unit, and John Imani Nzenze, an M23 commander and chief of intelligence, both of whom lead armed groups undermining stability in eastern DRC.