June 3, 2026
By Vera Anyagafu with agency report
The United States government has imposed fresh sanctions on senior commanders of two armed groups fueling violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), targeting the Rwanda-backed March 23 Movement (M23) and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).
The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced the designation of two individuals linked to the groups, in a move aimed at curbing instability in the conflict-hit region.
Those sanctioned are Gustave Kubwayo, identified as a commander within an intelligence and special operations unit of the FDLR, and John Imani Nzenze, described as the chief of intelligence for M23, a group designated by the US and the United Nations and widely reported to receive backing from Rwanda.
