The United States has announced sanctions against the Pareco-FF armed group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), accusing it of profiting from illegal mining operations in the coltan-rich Rubaya region between 2022 and 2024. Washington also targeted the Congolese mining company CDMC and two Hong Kong-based exporters, East Rise and Star Dragon, for allegedly trading minerals sourced from areas under the group’s control.
US officials said the measures are intended to send “a clear message” that armed groups and their commercial partners undermining peace and stability in the DRC will face consequences. Rubaya, now held by the M23 rebel group, produces up to 30% of the world’s coltan supply, a critical mineral for electronics manufacturing.
The sanctions were announced as tensions flared between the Congolese army and M23 fighters, who exchanged accusations of violating a recently signed US-mediated ceasefire agreement. Both sides have reported fresh clashes in South Kivu province, threatening plans to formalize a permanent peace deal by August 18.
The renewed violence follows the M23’s capture earlier this year of Goma and Bukavu, two key cities in eastern DRC, where the group has since set up its own administrations. The United States, which also brokered a separate peace accord between the Congolese and Rwandan governments, has increased its involvement in the region, citing both humanitarian concerns and the strategic importance of its mineral resources.