On February 20, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed designations that target the March 23 Movement (“M23”), an armed group previously designated by the United States and United Nationals for human rights abuses, including sexual violence, killings, and attacks against civilians in the eastern section of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (“DRC”). OFAC designated James Kabarebe, Rwanda’s Minister of State for Regional Integration, who has served as a government liaison to M23. Kabarebe, a former general for the Rwanda Defense Force (“RDF”), is allegedly responsible for the RDF’s support of M23 and has also enabled the group to use the DRC’s mineral resources to generate revenues for the group. In addition, OFAC designated M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka Kingston and two companies that he owns or controls.
The designations were imposed pursuant to Executive Order 13413, as amended by EO 13671, for being leaders of entities 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.