The European Union’s sanctions against the Rwandan authoritarian regime, expected for several weeks, fell on Monday, March 17, 2025 like a cleaver. Brussels, one of Paul Kagame’s most important supporters until recently, has finally swept away his internal reluctance by adding eight individuals and one Rwandan company to its list of people under European sanctions. Not enough, but this «small administrative and financial death» inflicted on these pillars of the latest Rwandan incursions into the Congo is a strong signal that hurts this ‘’country of a thousand hills’’, always handed over hand and foot to the undivided power of the «Hitler of the African tropics».
As the German Nazis had done in 1939 by simulating a Polish attack on a radio transmitter located in Germany to justify their invasion of Poland and before them (1937) the Japanese who used the pretext of the prolonged absence of one of their soldiers in his barracks to attack China, “guilty” of the alleged assassination of the soldier who returned, a few days later, declaring that he had simply lost his way in the Sino-Japanese border area, Paul Kagame specialized in fabricating the fallacious incidents that legitimize, especially in the West, his bloody and predatory incursions into Congolese territory. But as Gautier de Coincy wrote, so much does the jug go into the water that in the end, it breaks. Neither the ‘talk and fight’ tactic that led the Rwandan head of state to change the situation by participating in the negotiations before refusing to conclude in extremis, nor the plea of certain countries such as Kenya and Tanzania and the African Union in favor of delaying the launch of sanctions to give a chance to the direct negotiations planned in Luanda between the Congolese government and the M23, convinced the Europeans, who were exasperated by the atrocities and looting perpetrated by the Rwandans in Goma and Bukavu.
The European Council, which had recently signed many strategic and mining agreements with Paul Kagame, ended up recognizing that the presence of Rwandan troops on the territory of the Democratic Republic of Congo is «an armed aggression and a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of this country which maintains instability and insecurity throughout the African Great Lakes region». But also, that the revenues from the illegal extraction and trafficking of natural resources from eastern DRC are used to finance, among others, the M23 armed group and its operations, and thus contribute to the escalation of the conflict.
Three high-ranking Rwandan army officers, Generals Ruki Karusisi, Eugene Nkubito and Pascal Muhizi, have also been targeted by European Union sanctions. As well as Francis Kamanzi, the Rwanda Office of Mines, Oil and Gas (RMB) CEO and, as such, the main relay to Europe or America for blood minerals from the East of the DRC.
Bertrand Bisimwa, the political leader of the M23, is among the M23 rebellion’s key figures affected by these European sanctions.
In Kinshasa, the general impression is that these sanctions against the Rwandan regime and its Congolese puppets are still insufficient. It is believed that President Paul Kagame still benefits from a certain complacency from some of his European friends who had certainly warned him, down to the last detail, of the sanctions that were hanging in his face. It is no coincidence that on Saturday, March 15, 2025, a few days before the announcement of the said sanctions, Major General Ruki Karusisi aka “Rocky” was abruptly removed from his position as commander of the RDF special forces and replaced by Brigadier Stanislas Gashugi. The EU sanctions nevertheless send a clear signal that could, at the very least, investors and international donors to think twice before betting on the regime in place in Kigali.
This is obviously a decisive step towards the isolation and financial draining of the military principality that has ruled Rwanda since the mid-1990s, which has just been taken and is expected to continue. According to French MP Thierry Mariani, the EU sanctions are «a first victory but we must go further, require the immediate withdrawal of the Rwandan army and the M23 from eastern DRC; cancel the EU-Rwanda agreement on critical minerals; and sanction Paul Kagame in person».
Financial penalties
In fact, it is the financial resources that Kagame‘s country can hardly do without that are being eroded by these sanctions. In particular, the gold revenues generated by Gasabo Gold Refinery, the Rwandan refinery hit by the EU. Rwandan gold exports amounted to USD 880 million in 2024. For 2025, USD 1.350 billion was expected. Whereas coltan, in comparison, only brings in 72 million USD/year. With these European sanctions, Rwandan gold exports are expected to record a drastic decline, following the slowdown in Gasabo Gold Refinery’s activities, it is estimated. A Rwandan financial analyst speaking on condition of anonymity estimates that Kigali will see a drop in tax revenues of more than USD 1.300 billion on an annual budget of just 4 billions.
Gasabo Gold Refinery, which is based in the Rwandan capital city, began refining activities on June 1, 2022, following the closure of Aldango Gold Refinery. The illegal extraction and trafficking of natural resources from eastern DRC, such as gold, has notoriously contributed to the escalation of the conflict, according to the European Union. Since 2022, the transit of gold through Gasabo Gold Refinery, the country’s only gold refinery, has contributed, year in and year out, to the flourishing of illicit export activities and the interloping trafficking of Congolese gold through Rwanda. The Gasabo Gold Refinery thus exploits armed conflict, instability or insecurity in the DRC, including by engaging in the exploitation or illicit trade of natural resources, according to the Implementing Regulation of the Council of the EU, published on 17 March 2025.
Individual sanctions
Nine people have been added to the European Union’s sanctions list. Bertrand Bisimwa, president of the political wing of the “March 23 Movement” (M23), a non-governmental armed group. The M23 has for many years fueled armed conflict, instability and insecurity in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in particular by inciting violence and ethnic hatred, together with its mentors from the Rwanda Defense Forces massively deployed on Congolese territory. In addition, it is responsible for serious human rights violations, including killings of civilians and sexual assault and violence against them, as well as the recruitment of children into armed groups. As a result of his leadership role in the M23, Bertrand Bisimwa contributes to planning, directing, or committing acts that constitute serious human rights violations or abuses in the DRC. He is also seen as responsible for the escalation of this armed conflict, as well as the subsequent instability and insecurity in the DRC.
Major general Ruki Karusisi alias Rocky, a Rwandan national, was until March 15, 2025, the RDF Special Force deployed in eastern DRC commander. The presence of Rwandan troops on Congolese soil – under the pretext of the fallacious incidents on which the strategists of the Rwandan Ministry of Defense’s ‘Congo desk’ have worked hard to invent in recent years – aims to maintain a real dog-eat-dog conducive to President Kagame‘s hegemonic and predatory ambitions in the DRC.
Estimated at more than 4,000 heavily equipped soldiers, the Rwandan Expeditionary Force in eastern Congo has provided support in men and equipment to all operations of the March 23 Movement/Congolese Revolutionary Army (M23/ARC), an armed group of Congolese renegades operating in the region. The presence of the RDF in the Congolese provinces of North and South Kivu constitutes for the EU «a violation of the territorial integrity of the DRC and fuels the armed conflict, instability and insecurity in the region in addition to the responsibility of Rwandan soldiers in serious human rights violations, including collective punishment, and other human rights violations committed by members of the M23». Due to his function as head of the RDF Special Force deployed in the eastern DRC, Gen. Ruki Karusisi is therefore responsible for this armed conflict, instability and insecurity in the region, as well as support for entities that maintain armed conflict, instability and insecurity in this country.
Désiré Rukomera, a Rwandan national, has held since January 2024 the leading position of head of the recruitment and propaganda department of the M23 which maintains armed conflict, instability and insecurity in the DRC, in particular by inciting violence. It is also responsible for serious human rights violations, including killings, sexual assaults and violence against civilians, as well as the recruitment of children into an armed group. As a result of his leadership position within the M23, Désiré Rukomera plans, directs or commits acts constituting serious human rights violations or abuses in the DRC. It is also responsible for maintaining the armed conflict, instability and insecurity in that country.
John Imani Nzenze aka Mike Bravo, a Congolese national, self-proclaimed colonel and head of intelligence (“G2”) of the M23 armed group, is also sanctioned as responsible for serious human rights violations, including the killing of civilians, sexual assault and violence as well as the recruitment of children into the ranks of the M23 armed group.
As a result of his leadership role in the M23, John Imani Nzenze contributes to planning, directing, or committing acts that constitute serious human rights violations or abuses in the DRC. It is also responsible for maintaining armed conflict, instability and insecurity in the DRC.
Major general Eugène Nkubito, a Rwandan national, is the commander of the 3rd division of the Rwandan Defense Forces (RDF) deployed in the eastern Congo, more precisely in the province of North Kivu. He has held this position since August 2022. The RDF’s presence in the DRC aims to strengthen the operations of the March 23 Movement/Congolese Revolutionary Army (M23/ARC), a non-governmental armed group operating in eastern DRC, by providing troops and equipment. It constitutes a violation of the territorial integrity of the DRC and fuels armed conflict, instability and insecurity in the region. In addition, it is responsible for serious human rights violations, including collective punishment, and perpetuates serious human rights violations committed by members of the M23. Due to his command function within the 3rd division of the RDF, deployed in the east of the DRC, Eugène Nkubito is responsible for maintaining the armed conflict, instability and insecurity in the region.
Brigadier general Pascal Muhizi, a Rwandan national, is the commander of the 2nd Division of the Rwandan defense Forces (RDF) deployed in eastern DRC since August 2023, whose presence in Kivu constitutes a violation of the territorial integrity of the DRC and fuels armed conflict, instability and insecurity in the region and perpetuates serious human rights violations committed by members of the 23 March/Movement the Congolese Revolutionary Army (M23/ARC). Due to his leadership function within the 2nd Division of the RDF present in the DRC, brigadier general Pascal Muhizi is responsible for providing support to entities that maintain the armed conflict, instability and insecurity in the DRC.
Jean-Bosco Nzabonimpa Mupenzi, a Congolese national, is the deputy head of the M23’s Finance and Production Department. He is the Deputy Head of the Finance and Production Department of the March 23 Movement/Congolese Revolutionary Army (M23/ARC) which has been operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo, specifically in the province of North Kivu, since January 2024. By participating in the collection of financial resources and the training of M23/ARC recruits, he maintains armed conflict, instability and insecurity in the region and perpetuates serious human rights violations committed by M23 members, including killings of civilians and sexual assault and violence against them, as well as recruiting, and the recruitment of children. By participating in the collection of financial resources and the training of M23/ARC recruits, it maintains armed conflict, instability and insecurity in the region and perpetuates serious human rights violations committed by M23 members, including killings of civilians and sexual assault and violence against them, and the recruitment of children.
Francis Kamanzi, a Rwandan national, Director General of the Rwandan Office of Mines, Oil and Gas (RMB) since February 2024, a company through which illegally exploited minerals are transported in Congolese regions controlled by the March 23 Movement (M23) and trafficked to Rwanda for the benefit of the M23/AFC and the Rwandan economy, where these minerals from conflict zones are mixed with Rwandan production in order to blur any traceability. As a result of his leadership role at RMB, Francis Kamanzi shares responsibility for the exploitation of armed conflict, instability or insecurity in the DRC, including through the illicit exploitation or trade of natural resources.
Joseph Musanga Bahati alias “Colonel Erasto”, a Congolese national, governor of North Kivu, is a leading figure in the structure of the M23 rebel group and within the AFC. He served as the M23’s chief financial officer for several years. In January 2025, he was appointed head of the new illegal “administration” imposed by the M23 in violation of Congolese sovereignty as governor of North Kivu by the Nangaa-Bisimwa duo. The establishment of this parallel administration in the DRC constitutes a violation of the territorial integrity of the DRC and also fuels armed conflict, instability and insecurity in the region and perpetuates serious human rights violations committed by members of the M23. As a result of his leadership role in the M23, Joseph Bahati Musanga is involved in planning, directing, or committing acts that constitute serious human rights violations or abuses in the DRC. It is also responsible for maintaining armed conflict, instability and insecurity in the DRC.
J.N. with The Maximum