On Thursday, February 20, the United States imposed sanctions on Gen (Rtd) James Kabarebe, the Secretary of State for Regional Cooperation in Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, accusing him of being “at the heart” of Rwanda’s support for the M23 rebel group.
The U.S. announced the sanctions through its Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
In addition to Kabarebe, the U.S. also sanctioned Lawrence Kanyuka, the M23’s Political Spokesperson, along with his companies registered in France and the United Kingdom.
The U.S. stated that the sanctions against Kabarebe and Kanyuka reflect its commitment to holding high-ranking officials accountable for the actions of the RDF and M23 that destabilize eastern DRC.
While Washington did not specify the exact sanctions, typically such measures include asset freezes within U.S. jurisdiction and visa bans.
In a recent interview with Jeune Afrique, President Paul Kagame said that Rwanda remains unfazed by these threats of sanctions, emphasizing that the country will prioritize its security over foreign pressures.
He stated: “Some countries involved in this issue, like Belgium and Germany—former colonial powers—are trying to intimidate us with sanctions because I defend my rights. Do they think that scares me? Let it be clear: between choosing insecurity or facing sanctions, I would pick up arms to defend myself without worrying about sanctions.”
He added: “We went through tough times in 1994, and those times were hard on us. What I can tell you is simple. It’s like the story I shared during the 30th Genocide Commemoration in 2024 about a woman who, before being killed, was asked by the killers how she wanted to die. Her response? She stared them in the face.”
