The Government of Rwanda has said it "regrets" what it described as one-sided sanctions imposed by the United States against the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) and four of its senior commanders over alleged support to the March 23 Movement (M23) in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In a statement issued on March 2, 2026 by the Office of the Government Spokesperson in Kigali, Rwanda said the sanctions "unjustly targeting only one party to the peace process misrepresent the reality and distort the facts of the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo."
The statement follows Washington's decision to sanction the RDF and four senior officers, accusing them of providing direct operational support to M23, including troop deployments, advanced military equipment and training.
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Responding to the measures, Kigali accused the DRC of repeatedly violating ceasefire agreements through "indiscriminate drone attacks and ground offensives," which it said continue to cost lives.
"Protecting our country is a badge of honour which the Rwanda Defense Force carries very proudly," the statement read.
Rwanda further alleged that the Congolese government coalition includes foreign mercenaries, the Wazalendo militia and the FDLR, which Kigali describes as a genocidal armed group operating alongside the Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC).
According to Kigali, Kinshasa committed under the Washington Accords to an irreversible and verifiable end to state support for the FDLR and associated militias but has "not taken any steps to do so."
Rwanda said it remains committed to disengaging its forces "in tandem with the DRC implementing their obligations" and welcomed the resumption of the implementation process, including the Joint Oversight Committee established under the accords.
The US sanctions were announced in Washington by Principal Deputy Spokesperson Thomas Pigott, who said the measures respond to M23's capture of Uvira days after the December 4, 2025 signing of the Washington Accords.
US officials accused the RDF and its leadership of enabling M23 to seize Congolese territory, calling the move a clear violation of the peace deal.
The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control said the sanctions block all property and interests in property of the designated officers and the RDF within US jurisdiction and prohibit US persons from engaging in transactions with them.
The sanctioned officers include Vincent Nyakarundi, Army Chief of Staff; Ruki Karusisi, Commander of the 5th Infantry Division; Mubarakh Muganga, Chief of Defence Staff; and Stanislas Gashugi, Special Operations Force Commander.
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M23 has consistently denied being a Rwandan proxy and has accused Kinshasa of violating ceasefire terms, including a February 23 drone strike that killed one of its commanders in Rubaya. The group also accuses FARDC and allied militias of committing human rights abuses.
Despite M23's subsequent withdrawal from Uvira, US officials maintain that continued RDF support risks escalating the conflict and undermining the Washington Accords, which Washington has described as a decisive turning point for peace and prosperity in the Great Lakes region.
Kigali, however, insists that an "even-handed approach from all partners" is necessary and says it remains committed to delivering on all aspects of the accords, including the Regional Economic Integration Framework.
The diplomatic exchange underscores growing strain between Washington and Kigali as the fragile peace process in eastern DRC faces renewed pressure amid mutual accusations of ceasefire violations and proxy warfare.
