The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has designated six individuals pursuant to Executive Order 13413, as amended by Executive Order 13671, for leadership roles in entities sanctioned for committing serious crimes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and for contributing to actions or policies that threaten the peace, security or stability of the DRC.
The sanctioned individuals include military and intelligence leaders of the Rwandan-backed M23 March 23 (M23) Movement, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), the Rwandan Defense Forces (RDF), and the Congolese military (FARDC), four warring factions in the DRC that have been accused of human rights abuses and destabilizing actions.
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 US person are blocked, and US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions involving the designated persons. In addition, entities owned 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked.