Congolese Opposition Condemn U.S. Sanctions on Joseph Kabila
Opposition politicians in the Democratic Republic of Congo have denounced recent U.S. sanctions against former President Joseph Kabila, calling them “untimely and counterproductive” amid the country’s ongoing crisis.
The coalition, operating under the banner of Mouvement Sauvons la RDC which Kabila co-founded issued a petition urging Washington to reverse its April 30 decision. The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control placed Kabila on its specially designated nationals list, accusing him of links to the AFC/M23 rebel movement in eastern DR Congo. Kabila has dismissed the allegations as politically motivated.
The designation freezes assets under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibits transactions with American entities. In a statement released on May 6, opposition leaders condemned the move as “arbitrary and unjustified,” claiming it relied on “unsubstantiated allegations and unfounded rumors.”
Signatories include prominent figures such as Andre Claudel Lubaya, Franck Diongo, Jean-Claude Vuemba, Raymond Tshibanda, Augustin Matata Ponyo, Tharcisse Loseke, Floryd Mbakata, Filia Tshipasa, Albert Mukulubundu, and Bienvenu Matumo.
The sanctions come as regional and internal peace efforts unfold. The Washington Accord seeks to ease tensions between Kinshasa and Kigali, focusing on neutralizing the FDLR militia—linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. In parallel, the Doha process, mediated by Qatar, aims to address internal grievances through dialogue between Kinshasa and the AFC/M23 movement.
Opposition leaders argue that U.S. sanctions undermine these mediation efforts. “This decision is manifestly inconsistent with the role of Mediator-Facilitator, requiring neutrality and fairness,” the statement read.
The coalition accused Washington of political bias, noting that the U.S. had once praised Kabila for overseeing a peaceful transfer of power to President Félix Tshisekedi in 2019. They argue that current governance failures—including alleged human rights abuses, arbitrary arrests, and collaboration with armed groups such as the FDLR—are being overlooked.
They further criticized U.S. silence during key moments in Kabila’s political trajectory, including his exile, trial in absentia, death sentence, and a recent drone assassination attempt.
“For the majority of Congolese, the sanctions are perceived as a new stage in political persecution carried out by Kinshasa’s regime, with which the U.S. Administration has either become complicit or inadvertently associated,” the statement added.
While acknowledging the complexity of the crisis, opposition figures insist sanctions will deepen divisions rather than foster dialogue. “Beyond being unjustified, this decision is untimely and counterproductive,” they concluded, urging Washington to reconsider.
