United States hits the syndicate dealing with stolen minerals to fuel conflict in DR Congo

The United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has imposed sanctions on a network working in coordination with the Rwandan-backed March 23 Movement to illegally smuggle minerals from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to Rwanda. 

This action supports the historic Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity, signed on December 4, 2025, by the leaders of the DRC and Rwanda. 

It reinforces their commitment to implement a Regional Economic Integration Framework designed to expand trade and investment, strengthen transparency across critical minerals supply chains, and lay the foundation for greater long-term economic opportunity throughout the region.

“The United States will not allow rogue groups to profit from the illicit mineral trade and destabilize the region,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent.

“The DRC mineral wealth rightfully belongs to the Congolese people,” says the statement.

According to Washington, March 23 or M23, designated by both the United States and the United Nations as an armed group, has committed numerous human rights abuses and continues to undermine regional peace efforts.

M23’s control and trafficking of illicit minerals directly fuel its destabilizing operations and further exacerbates the humanitarian crisis in the DRC.

Conflict minerals: Funding violence and undermining global supply chains

The statement says the United States is a key partner to the DRC and Rwanda in implementing the vision of the Washington Accords brokered by President Trump to achieve lasting peace and establish a fully licit and transparent regional minerals sector.

Disrupting conflict mineral networks and encouraging all supply chain actors to exercise greater due diligence is necessary to create the space for the DRC, Rwanda, and other partners to build a new system that will reinforce peace, drive economic growth for the people of the region, and contribute to secure global supply chains. 

On August 12, 2025, Treasury took action against a network of entities linked to illegal mining in the DRC. 

As Treasury highlighted in that designation, the trafficking of conflict minerals is linked to violence and abuses against civilians and impedes responsible and legal investment in the region that would benefit local communities.

Treasury has taken several actions targeting actors driving the conflict in eastern DRC since Rwanda and the DRC signed the Washington Accords, including on March 2, 2026, April 30, 2026, and most recently on June 2, 2026.

 As Treasury highlighted in these previous designations, M23 has captured large portions of territory in eastern DRC, including the capitals of North and South Kivu provinces, Goma and Bukavu, with direct military, financial, and logistical support from the military of Rwanda, known as the Rwanda Defense Force (RDF).

Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the RDF on March 2, 2026 for actively supporting, training, and fighting alongside M23, including supporting M23 as it seized these critical regions in eastern DRC. 

These regions are home to strategic mining sites that are rich in mineral wealth rightfully belonging to the Congolese people, and M23 has exploited this wealth to purchase weapons and equipment, pay fighters, and commit abuses targeting Congolese civilians.

Minerals sourced from conflict-affected areas directly or indirectly benefit armed groups, who raise funds by selling minerals and imposing illegal “taxation” schemes, often in collusion with corrupt local officials.

In addition, the mines controlled by armed groups like M23 are linked to a wide range of human rights abuse, such as forced labor, child labor, and sexual and gender-based violence, as well as dangerous working conditions, as evidenced by the March 2026 collapse of a mine shaft at the M23-controlled Rubaya coltan mine in eastern DRC that killed over 200 people, including children.

Minerals laundering scheme

Since M23’s takeover of the provincial capitals, Gasabo Gold Refinery Limited (Gasabo Gold) has acted as a key partner to Rwandan government officials and M23 rebels as they sourced and transported gold out of eastern DRC.

Following the removal of gold from mines in RDF/M23-occupied areas in South Kivu, Rwandan government forces have had strict oversight of the gold until it reached Gasabo Gold. 

RDF soldiers and M23 rebels have ensured the safe transport of gold from M23-held areas to Rusizi District, Rwanda, immediately over the border from Bukavu, DRC to Gasabo Gold in Kigali, Rwanda, via ground or air transport. 

Upon reaching Gasabo Gold, RDF and M23 personnel have handed the gold over to Gasabo Gold personnel, who immediately began the gold refinement process. 

In early 2026 at least 60 kg of gold, representing millions of dollars in value, were moved from eastern DRC to Gasabo Gold through this scheme.  The European Union previously designated Gasabo Gold for its role in transporting illegally extracted gold from the DRC.

Jean Malic Kalima (Kalima) is the Chairman of Gasabo Gold, while Bosco Kayobotsi runs its day-to-day operations as General Manager.  Kalima also controls the Rwandan mining companies Bugambira Mines LTD (Bugambira Mines), Wolfram Mining and Processing LTD (Wolfram Mining), and Rwinkwavu Mining Corporation LTD (Rwinkwavu Mining).

Gasabo Gold is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13413, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, logistical, or technological support for, or goods or services in support of, M23. 

In addition, Gasabo Gold is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13413, as amended, for being responsible for or complicit in, or having engaged in, directly or indirectly, support to persons, including armed groups, involved in activities that threaten the peace, security, or stability of the Democratic Republic of  Congo.

Kalima and Kayobotsi are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13413, as amended, for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Gasabo Gold.

Bugambira Mines, Wolfram Mining, and Rwinkwavu Mining are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13413, as amended, for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Kalima.

All property and interests in property of the designated or blocked person described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC.

In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked.