US imposes visa restrictions on Rwanda over M23 backing

The United States has imposed visa restrictions on several Rwandan officials accused of supporting the M23 rebel group and undermining peace efforts in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In a statement, the United States Department of State said the restrictions target senior officials it believes are contributing to instability in the region.

The move follows allegations that Rwanda has been backing the March 23 Movement (M23), an armed rebel group operating in eastern DRC and one of the key actors in the protracted conflict in the area.

According to the State Department, the United States “will impose visa restrictions on several senior Rwandan officials for fueling instability” in eastern Congo.

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

Washington urged all parties to the accords to honour their commitments, including the Congolese government’s responsibility to neutralise the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and allied armed groups.

It also called on Rwanda to withdraw its troops and military equipment from Congolese territory.

The statement added that achieving these steps would help unlock the significant economic potential of the Great Lakes region.

“Individuals believed to be responsible for, complicit in, or directly or indirectly engaged in undermining or impeding sustainable peace in the Great Lakes region will face consequences,” it said.

Under the U.S. visa restriction policy, the Secretary of State can deny entry to any foreign national whose presence in the United States could have “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences” for the country.

The restrictions may also apply to certain family members of those targeted.

The M23, also known as the March 23 Movement, operates mainly in North Kivu Province in eastern Congo, near the borders with Rwanda and Uganda.

The group’s name refers to March 23, 2009, when the Congolese government signed a peace agreement with the rebel group National Congress for the Defence of the People.

Former fighters later accused the government of failing to honour the deal and launched a new rebellion in 2012 under the M23 banner.