The United States has announced new sanctions targeting Rwanda amid ongoing concerns over the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) conflict. The move, announced by the U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday, focuses on Rwanda’s Ministry of Defense and a financial institution linked to it, the Zigama Credit and Savings Society. Washington accuses these entities of facilitating support for the rebel group March 23 Movement (M23) and of enabling the smuggling of gold across the Rwandan border.

The eastern DRC has been embroiled in violence for over three decades, with the conflict fueled by competition over mineral resources, including coltan, gold, and rare earth metals. U.S. officials and human rights organizations have implicated Rwanda in backing M23, a militia accused of war crimes such as rape and murder. Rwanda has denied these allegations, asserting compliance with the peace agreement signed last year in Washington known as the Washington Accords.

The sanctions come nearly a year after President Donald Trump claimed the war had ended following the signing of the Washington Accords, an agreement between Rwanda and the DRC brokered under his administration. Shortly after the accord, M23 launched a military offensive seizing the strategic port city of Uvira in eastern Congo, before withdrawing under U.S. pressure.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized the sanctions represent a commitment to hold Rwanda accountable for its peace commitments, urging the country to cease its support for M23 and withdraw its troops from eastern Congo. The sanctions aim to restrict the targeted Rwandan entities from accessing the U.S. financial system.

The Congolese government has recently deepened ties with the United States by signing mineral concession agreements that give American companies preferential access to the country’s resources. Meanwhile, the DRC Embassy in Washington described the sanctions as a “decisive” step and called for strict adherence to the Washington Accords.

Relations within the region remain complex. Earlier this year, the U.S. imposed sanctions on the Rwandan military and senior commanders for the same allegations of backing M23. In a significant development, DRC President Joseph Kabila, who has been accused of supporting the M23 rebels, announced an alliance with the group this month. Kabila was sentenced to death in absentia last year by a Kinshasa military court on charges including treason and war crimes associated with violence in eastern Congo, and the U.S. has sanctioned him as well.

Human Rights Watch called for an end to abuses by all parties in the conflict, warning that sanctions alone will not protect civilians. The group urged the international community to press the DRC government to investigate and hold accountable those responsible for abuses, including its own forces, to ensure compliance with humanitarian law.

Rwanda’s Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe reaffirmed the country’s commitment to the Washington Accords in a recent statement but did not publicly address the new sanctions. The Rwandan foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment.