US sanctions Rwanda gold refinery over Congo mineral smuggling

The United States has announced sweeping sanctions against Rwanda’s Gasabo Gold Refinery and several of its executives, accusing them of smuggling minerals from conflict zones in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

According to the U.S. Treasury Department, the refinery and its associates facilitated the illegal transfer of at least 60 kilograms of gold from eastern Congo into Rwanda earlier this year, with proceeds allegedly used to support the M23 rebel group.

The sanctions freeze assets under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibit American entities from conducting business with the refinery, its chairman Jean Malic Kalima, general manager Bosco Kayobotsi, and three mining companies linked to Kalima — Bugambira Mines, Wolfram Mining and Processing, and Rwinkwavu Mining Corporation.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasised that Congo’s mineral wealth belongs to its people and should not be exploited to fuel violence.

He noted that the sanctions are part of Washington’s broader effort to enforce the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity, signed in December 2025 between Rwanda and the DRC, which sought to establish transparent mineral supply chains and reduce regional instability.

Despite the agreement, fighting in eastern Congo has intensified, with reports of Rwandan officials and soldiers overseeing smuggling operations that benefit armed groups.

The move by Washington follows similar action by the European Union, which sanctioned Gasabo Gold Refinery in 2025 for exploiting conflict minerals.

Analysts say the latest sanctions highlight growing international pressure on Rwanda to curb illicit mineral trade and sever ties with rebel networks destabilising the Great Lakes region.

Economically, the sanctions are expected to disrupt the refinery’s operations and weaken financial flows to M23, while politically, they signal a coordinated global stance against the exploitation of Congo’s resources.