US imposes sanctions on DR Congo ex-President Kabila alleging rebel support

The former leader has not responded to US accusations that he is aiming to destabilise the government. Joseph Kabila: US sanctions DR Congo ex-president alleging M23 support Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Joseph Kabila's current whereabouts are unknown but he went into self-imposed exile in South Africa in 2023 A head and shoulders image of Joseph Kabila. He is wearing a blue jacket and open-necked blue chequered shirt. US imposes sanctions on DR Congo ex-President Kabila alleging rebel support The US has imposed sweeping sanctions on former Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila, accusing him of backing the M23 rebel group. Washington alleges he provided financial support, encouraged defections from the Congolese army and even "sought to launch attacks" on the military from outside the country. The 54-year-old ex-president, who led DR Congo for 18 years from 2001, has not responded to a BBC request for comment. The US said these latest sanctions were part of a wider effort to support last year's peace deal between neighbours DR Congo and Rwanda that it brokered. Washington also says Rwanda supports the M23 and sanctioned some of its army's leading commanders in March. The US said these latest sanctions were part of a wider effort to support between neighbours DR Congo and Rwanda that it brokered. Washington also says Rwanda supports the M23 and sanctioned some of its army's leading commanders in March Kigali denies backing the rebels, despite overwhelming evidence, and says its military presence in the region is a defensive measure against threats posed by armed groups in DR Congo to Rwanda's security. , and says its military presence in the region is a defensive measure against threats posed by armed groups in DR Congo to Rwanda's security. The US Treasury statement announcing the sanctions on Kabila alleged that he was aiming to destabilise Kinshasa and position an opposition candidate to regain political influence. announcing the sanctions on Kabila alleged that he was aiming to destabilise Kinshasa and position an opposition candidate to regain political influence. A young boy, in a T-shirt in the colours of the US flag, stands by an artisanal mine holding a wire sifting tray behind his shoulders in Lumumbashi in DR Congo, December 2005. How Trump wants the US to cash in on mineral-rich DR Congo's peace deal A woman in a red jumper looks quizzical as she stares at her yellow mobile phone. Your phone, a rare metal and the war in DR Congo Under the measures, all of Kabila's assets in the US have been frozen. American citizens and companies are barred from doing business with him. Banks and foreign partners have been warned against even indirect dealings with the former president, with violations carrying heavy civil or criminal penalties. The sanctions are designed not only to punish but to force behavioural change, signalling Washington's willingness to target former leaders accused of fuelling conflict. Eastern DR Congo has been dogged by conflict for years with myriad armed groups operating in the area. At the beginning of 2025, the M23 made major advances capturing large areas of this mineral-rich region, including its biggest cities. The US said the sanctions also bolstered a regional economic agreement that "enhances transparency in critical minerals supply chains". Last December, the US and DR Congo agreed a partnership to increase access to the region's vast deposits of minerals such as cobalt, coltan and copper. The current whereabouts of Kabila are unknown, but 12 months ago he made an appearance in the M23-held city of Goma. The current whereabouts of Kabila are unknown, but 12 months ago he made an appearance in the M23-held city of Goma Last September, he was sentenced to death in absentia by a Congolese military court for war crimes and treason in connection with his alleged support of the M23. He denied the charges, but did not appear in court to defend himself saying the case was "arbitrary". by a Congolese military court for war crimes and treason in connection with his alleged support of the M23. He denied the charges, but did not appear in court to defend himself saying the case was "arbitrary". A close up of a pair of hands holding five bullets. What's the fighting in DR Congo all about? M23 fighters in fatigues and boots and holding guns sit on the back black of a pick-up truck - taken in 2023 The evidence that shows Rwanda is backing rebels in DR Congo A group of five miners, wearing wellingtons, work at station cleaning the rocks brought up to the surface. They are standing next to a pool of orange, brown water used in the process. Behind them can be seen the Masisi Hill. Inside the Congolese mine vital to mobile phones, as rebels give BBC rare access A woman looking at her mobile phone and the graphic BBC News Africa Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent. for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica The youngest of those freed from an Allied Democratic Forces camp is a girl aged just 14, Uganda's army says. The Congolese government stresses those expelled from the US are only in the country temporarily. The country will start receiving deportees from this month but has not said how many they will accept. The US defence secretary says the timer for the president to report to Congress "pauses or stops" in a ceasefire. Politics have become an increasingly thorny issue in the Villages, Florida, which is home to 150,000 people. Five students and one security guard were taken to hospital following the attack at Foss High School. The Texas man allegedly refunded the orders of hundreds of catering-sized mac-and-cheese trays to his personal credit cards. The airline said it regrets the situation and was doing an urgent "comprehensive internal search" for the award.