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 sale of gold illegally taken from eastern DRC.
Washington alleges the company worked closely with Rwandan government officials and M23 rebels. According to the accusations, Rwandan soldiers and armed movement fighters secured the gold transport to Bukavu before it was sent to Kigali for refining.
Early in 2026, nearly 60 kilograms of gold, worth several million dollars, were reportedly moved illicitly into Rwanda.
This action comes amid growing accusations of plundering Congolese natural resources and continued violence in the country’s east.
Financial penalties
Washington says these measures aim to prevent armed groups from profiting from illegal resource exploitation.
“The United States will not allow outlaw groups to benefit from the illegal mineral trade to destabilize the region. The DRC’s mineral wealth rightfully belongs to the Congolese people,” stated U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Specifically, the sanctions freeze all assets held in the United States by the company and its director. They also prohibit any U.S. company or citizen from conducting transactions with them. Foreign companies that use the dollar or have U.S. subsidiaries may also be affected.
Mineral trade at the heart of eastern DRC conflict
Since its resurgence in late 2021, the M23 has controlled vast territories in the eastern DRC provinces rich in strategic minerals. Kinshasa, the United Nations, and several Western countries accuse Rwanda of providing military support to the armed group, an allegation Kigali continues to deny.
Mineral resource exploitation is one of the main funding sources for the rebel movement. In April 2024, the M23 seized Rubaya, one of the world’s largest coltan mining sites. This area supplies about 15% of the global production of coltan, a mineral essential for making cell phones, computers, and other electronic devices.
The armed group levies taxes on mineral extraction and trade, generating substantial income.
New accusations over plundering of Congolese resources
The U.S. sanctions come a few weeks after the publication of an investigation by the NGO Global Witness. It claims that hundreds of tons of coltan illegally mined in eastern DRC were laundered in Rwanda before being exported to smelters that supply major electronics manufacturers.
According to United Nations experts, about 120 tons of coltan were exported each month to Rwanda between May and October 2024 from areas controlled by the M23.
These new sanctions illustrate Washington’s determination to target not only armed groups but also the commercial networks that enable them to finance their activities. They also revive debate on the traceability of strategic minerals and the responsibility of international actors in global supply chains.
