The United States imposed sanctions on former Democratic Republic of the Congo President Joseph Kabila, accusing him of supporting armed groups that Washington says have fueled conflict and instability in eastern Congo.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Kabila for alleged support to the March 23 Movement (M23) and the Congo River Alliance, or Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC). Treasury described M23 as a Rwanda-backed armed group operating in eastern Congo and AFC as a political-military coalition aligned with M23 that seeks to topple the Congolese government. 

The action comes as Washington seeks to support the U.S.-brokered Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity, signed by the Congolese and Rwandan heads of state on Dec. 4, 2025, Treasury said. The accords are tied to a regional economic integration framework focused on trade, investment, and transparency in critical minerals supply chains. 

In a statement, the U.S. alleged that Kabila provided financial support to AFC, encouraged Congolese army troops to defect and join AFC forces, and sought unsuccessfully to launch attacks from outside Congo on the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in eastern Congo. Treasury also said Kabila has worked to install a candidate opposed to Congo’s current president in an effort to regain influence over the government. 

Kabila, who served as Congo’s president from 2001 to 2019, traveled in 2025 to Goma, where Treasury said he has lived under M23 protection. Treasury said M23 has captured large portions of eastern Congo, including Goma and Bukavu, the capitals of North and South Kivu provinces.