The United States has imposed sanctions on an armed group linked to Congo’s military, a Congolese mining company, and two Hong Kong-based exporters over alleged involvement in violence and illegal mining.
U.S. officials said the move is part of broader efforts to curb the exploitation of conflict minerals in the region.
The measures are the latest by President Donald Trump’s administration to push for peace in eastern Congo, where Rwanda-backed M23 rebels launched a rapid offensive earlier this year, sparking violence that has killed thousands.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced penalties against PARECO-FF, a successor to an armed faction accused of “destabilising activities” in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
According to the Treasury, the group has engaged in forced labour and carried out civilian executions in mining areas under its control.
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The sanctions, which ban trade with U.S. individuals and entities, also target Congolese miner Cooperative des Artisanaux Miniers du Congo (CDMC).
The Treasury said the company sold critical minerals smuggled from areas controlled by PARECO-FF.
Hong Kong-based exporters East Rise Corporation Limited and Star Dragon Corporation Limited were also sanctioned for allegedly buying those minerals.
The targeted activities are centred in Rubaya, a mineral-rich area in eastern Congo that is one of the world’s largest sources of tantalum ore, a key material used in electronics.
The U.S. has expressed hope that a future peace agreement could pave the way for billions of dollars in Western investment in the region, which is rich in tantalum, gold, cobalt, copper, lithium, and other valuable minerals.
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