OFAC imposes DRC-related sanctions

OFAC imposed blocking sanctions on two individuals (both in Rwanda) and four entities (all in Rwanda) under its Democratic Republic of Congo's sanctions program for smuggling conflict minerals from eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and supporting the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group. The designations target the chairman and operators of Gasabo Gold Refinery and a network of related Rwandan mining companies involved in laundering gold illegally extracted from M23-controlled areas in the DRC through a minerals trafficking scheme that generated millions of dollars in proceeds to finance M23's destabilizing operations and military activities. The action supports implementation of the U.S.-brokered Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity signed in December 2025, aimed at establishing a fully licit and transparent regional minerals sector.