US sanctions Rwanda gold refinery over alleged smuggling from eastern DR Congo
The United States has imposed sanctions on Rwanda's Gasabo Gold Refinery and two of its senior executives, accusing them of helping to smuggle minerals from rebel-held areas of neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. Washington said the network was linked to the M23 rebel group, which controls parts of eastern DR Congo that are rich in gold and coltan. The move adds fresh pressure to efforts to curb illicit mineral flows in a conflict that has repeatedly drawn in regional and international actors.
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The sanctions, announced on Thursday, target the refinery, its chairman Jean Malic Kalima and its general manager Bosco Kayobotsi. The US said at least 60kg of gold, worth millions of dollars, was smuggled from eastern DR Congo to Gasabo Gold Refinery in early 2026. It also alleged that Rwandan government officials and soldiers oversaw the system, although Rwanda has long denied supporting M23 and has not responded to the latest measures.
Three mining companies controlled by Kalima - Bugambira Mines, Wolfram Mining and Processing, and Rwinkwavu Mining Corporation - were also designated. Under the sanctions, any assets held in US jurisdiction will be frozen, and American citizens and companies are barred from dealing with the targeted parties. The Treasury secretary said the United States would not allow armed groups to profit from illicit mineral trade and destabilise the region.
The action comes against the backdrop of a long-running conflict in eastern DR Congo, where mineral wealth has often been tied to armed violence, smuggling and cross-border tensions. Gold and coltan from the region are strategically important because they feed global supply chains, including electronics manufacturing. The US has also linked the sanctions to a peace deal it helped broker and that was signed last December by the presidents of Rwanda and DR Congo, with the stated aim of ending the conflict and creating a more transparent minerals sector.
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The refinery had already been sanctioned by the European Union last year for what it described as exploiting the armed conflict in DR Congo. That earlier measure and the new US action point to growing international scrutiny of the trade in minerals from the region. The allegations also place renewed attention on the role of private companies, local officials and armed groups in moving gold across the border.
What remains unclear is how far the alleged network extended and whether the latest sanctions will alter the flow of minerals from eastern DR Congo. The sanctioned parties have not commented publicly, and Rwanda has not issued a response to the new US measures. The next developments to watch are any reaction from Kigali, any further enforcement steps by Washington, and whether the peace process can reduce the fighting that continues despite the agreement signed last December.
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