The U.S. government announced on Friday that it is imposing visa restrictions on “several senior Rwandan officials” accused of fuelling instability in eastern Congo. The move follows earlier sanctions imposed on Rwanda this week and intensifies pressure on the East African nation amid ongoing conflict in the region.
According to the U.S. State Department for their continued support of the rebel group M23, which remains active despite a U.S.-mediated peace agreement signed in December 2025 between the governments of Rwanda and Congo.
“By continuing to support M23 and violating the Washington Accords, these individuals are driving violence and undermining the stability” of eastern Congo, the statement attributed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
The U.S. reiterated that all parties to the Washington Accords are expected to fully honor their commitments. These commitments include Congo’s obligation to neutralize armed groups threatening Rwanda and the withdrawal of Rwandan troops from Congolese territory.
Earlier this week, the U.S. imposed sanctions on the Rwandan military and four senior officials for supporting M23, whose rebellion has displaced thousands of civilians and is accused of human rights abuses. Rwandan authorities have called the sanctions unjust, pointing to alleged violations of the peace deal by Congo’s government.
Donald Trump, at the time of signing the December peace agreement, praised the leaders for their courage and noted that the deal also opened the region’s critical mineral reserves to U.S. interests.
Despite the accords, fighting continues across multiple fronts in eastern Congo, resulting in numerous civilian and military casualties. M23, the most prominent of roughly 100 armed factions in the region near the Rwandan border, has grown from a few hundred members in 2021 to an estimated 6,500 fighters, according to the United Nations.
The conflict has caused one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, with over 7 million people displaced, according to the UN Refugee Agency.
Paul Kagame, the Rwandan president, has defended M23’s actions as a struggle to protect the rights of Congolese Tutsis, who have long sought shelter in neighboring countries. The conflict escalated significantly in January 2025, when the rebels captured key cities, including Goma and Bukavu, consolidating their control over strategic towns in the region.
