The United States Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on Gasabo Gold Refinery and its director, Jean Malic Kalima. American authorities accuse them of facilitating the extraction, transport, and resale of gold illegally taken from eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (RDC).
Washington alleges that the company worked closely with Rwandan government officials and M23 rebels. Rwandan soldiers and fighters from the armed group reportedly secured the gold transport to Bukavu, from where it was sent to Kigali for refining.
According to the Treasury, around 60 kilograms of gold, worth several million dollars, were illicitly transferred to Rwanda in early 2026.
This decision comes as accusations of plundering Congolese natural resources mount and violence persists in the eastern part of the country.
Financial sanctions
Washington says these measures aim to prevent armed groups from profiting from illegal resource exploitation.
“The United States will not allow lawless groups to profit from illegal mineral trade to destabilise the region. The RDC’s mineral wealth rightfully belongs to the Congolese people,” stated US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Concretely, the sanctions freeze all assets held in the United States by the company and its director. They also prohibit any American company or citizen from conducting transactions with them. Foreign companies using the dollar or having subsidiaries in the US may also be affected.
Mineral trade at the heart of the conflict in eastern RDC
Since its resurgence in late 2021, the M23 has controlled vast territories in the eastern provinces of the RDC, rich in strategic minerals. Kinshasa, the United Nations, and several Western countries accuse Rwanda of militarily supporting the armed group, an accusation Kigali continues to deny.
Mineral resource exploitation is a main source of funding for the rebel movement. In April 2024, the M23 seized Rubaya, one of the world’s largest coltan mining sites. That area supplies about 15% of global coltan production, a mineral essential for making mobile phones, computers, and other electronic equipment.
The armed group imposes taxes on mining and mineral trade, generating substantial revenues.
Fresh accusations over plundering Congolese resources
The US sanctions come weeks after an investigation by the NGO Global Witness. It claims that hundreds of tonnes of coltan illegally mined in eastern RDC were laundered in Rwanda before being exported to smelters that supply major electronics manufacturers.
UN experts estimate that about 120 tonnes of coltan were exported monthly to Rwanda between May and October 2024 from areas under M23 control.
These new sanctions show Washington’s determination to target not only armed groups but also the commercial networks that enable their financing. They also revive debate over traceability of strategic minerals and the responsibility of international actors in global supply chains.
