US Imposes Sanctions on Congolese Militia

The United States government has imposed fresh sanctions on a militia group operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and two Chinese firms accused of fueling instability in the country’s mineral-rich eastern region.

The move comes amid rising tensions over a fragile ceasefire in the area.

Washington’s latest measures target Pareco-FF, a militia force that has been in open conflict with the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel movement.

The group controls parts of Rubaya, a strategic mining hub that produces up to 30 percent of the world’s coltan a critical mineral used in smartphones, laptops, and other electronics.

US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the sanctions aim to disrupt illicit mineral trade networks that finance armed conflict.

“The United States is sending a clear message that no armed group or commercial entity will escape accountability if they undermine peace, stability, or security in the DRC,” she declared.

In addition to Pareco-FF, the sanctions hit a Congolese mining company and two Hong Kong-based exporters accused of buying minerals from the militia.

US officials say these firms played a central role in smuggling coltan onto the global market, enabling the armed group to sustain its operations.

The action follows fresh accusations by the Congolese military that M23 rebels have violated the US-brokered ceasefire reached earlier this year.

The deal, praised by former US President Donald Trump, was negotiated after high-level talks between DRC and Rwandan officials at the White House in June.

Although the fighting has not escalated into major new offensives, sporadic clashes have raised fears of a return to full-scale war.

A senior US official acknowledged the challenges in enforcing peace, noting that eastern DRC remains crowded with dozens of militias beyond the control of any single party.

“We are concerned whenever violence flares in eastern Congo,” the official said. “But M23 has not seized new territory in the last three months.”

Pareco-FF formed in 2022 as a direct response to M23’s rapid territorial gains.

Many of its fighters had previously served in the Congolese army under a 2009 reintegration agreement but later returned to the bush as tensions resurfaced.

Analysts warn that without stronger oversight of the mineral trade, armed groups will continue exploiting resources to fund their campaigns.

The US has pledged to work with regional governments and international partners to improve transparency in mining and crack down on smuggling routes.

For the people of eastern DRC, the sanctions offer a glimmer of hope that curbing illicit mineral flows could help starve militias of the resources that keep the conflict alive.

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