The United States has sanctioned Rwandan businessman Jean Malic Kalima over his alleged role in supporting the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group by smuggling conflict minerals out of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

U.S. Department of State spokesperson, Thomas Pigott, said in a statement on Thursday that the sanctions are part of Washington’s efforts against the illicit trade in conflict minerals.

Mr Kalima was sanctioned alongside his company, Gasabo Gold Refinery LTD, another individual, and three other Rwandan mining firms for their alleged role in fuelling the humanitarian crisis in the region.

“M23 and its backers exploit the DRC’s vast mineral resources—wealth that rightfully belongs to the Congolese people—to fund weapons, pay fighters, and sustain a destabilising insurgency that has triggered a severe humanitarian crisis,” Mr Pigott said.

He said the sanctions form part of the implementation of the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity brokered between Rwanda and the DRC.

The sanctions came a day after DR Congo and Rwanda reached a new ceasefire agreement to end hostilities immediately. The Congolese government has long accused Rwanda of backing the M23 rebel group, an allegation Kigali has repeatedly denied.

Mr Pigott explained that the peace agreement seeks to reform how minerals are mined and traded in the region by ensuring they are traceable, handled transparently, and sold through legal channels. 

He said it also aims to ensure that mineral wealth drives development rather than violence and to provide U.S. industries with access to critical minerals.

Mr Pigott called on actors to refrain from the illicit trade in conflict minerals, which the U.S. government said finances armed groups, “enables forced and child labour, and perpetuates sexual violence in mining communities.”

He added, “All mineral supply chain actors, including end-users and financial institutions, should ensure they consistently implement responsible practices and leverage their role to incentivise the development of a fully licit, transparent minerals sector.”

The U.S. government said the latest sanctions are part of its ongoing actions against conflict mineral traffickers “who profit from eastern DRC’s suffering.”

It reaffirmed its commitment to promoting peace and economic growth in the Great Lakes region through a legal global supply chain and mineral sector.