On July 25, 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned groups and their leaders who are responsible for destabilizing actions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (“DRC”). OFAC designated the Congo River Alliance, also known by its French name Alliance Fleuve Congo (“AFC”), a political-military coalition that is seeking to overthrow the DRC government and has allegedly engaged in violent conflicts and the displacement of civilians in the DRC. OFAC also designated the AFC’s coordinator Corneille Yobeluo Nangaa as well as Bertrand Bisimwa, the civilian president of the March 23 Movement (“M23”), a Rwanda-backed rebel group that was previously designated by the United Nations in 2012 and by the United States in 2013. OFAC also sanctioned the Twirwaneho, an AFC member group that coordinates with M23, and Charles Sematama, its commander and deputy military leader who has allegedly engaged in the forcible recruitment of minors into the group.
The designations were imposed pursuant to Executive Order 13413, as amended by EO 13671, for being a leader of an entity sanctioned for committing serious crimes in the DRC or for contributing to actions or policies that threaten the peace, security or stability of the DRC. As a result of these designations, all property and interests in property of the designees within the United States or within the possession or control of a U.S. person are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions involving a designated person. Entities owned 50 percent or more by one or more designated persons are also blocked.