US to impose visa restrictions on senior Rwandan officials

WASHINGTON

The US announced Friday that it will impose visa restrictions on several senior Rwandan officials over their alleged role in fueling instability in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

In a statement, the State Department said the restrictions target individuals accused of supporting the M23 rebel group and undermining efforts to stabilize the volatile Great Lakes region.

“By continuing to support M23 and violating the Washington Accords, these individuals are driving violence and undermining the stability of the entire Great Lakes Region,” the department said.

Washington urged all parties to the Washington Accords to fulfill their commitments aimed at ending the long-running conflict.

The move follows US sanctions announced earlier this week against Rwanda’s military and four senior officers accused of “actively supporting, training and fighting alongside” the M23 rebel group in eastern Congo.

The M23 rebel group, which has been at the center of the conflict in eastern Congo, controls significant territory, including the provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu, which it seized in 2025.

The Congolese government, the UN, and others accuse neighboring Rwanda of supporting the M23, an allegation Kigali denies.