Legal battle against US sanctions
In early August, Joseph Kabila initiated proceedings before a US federal court seeking to overturn his inclusion on the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) blacklist. This list, managed by the US Treasury Department, enforces economic sanctions. In a 16-page complaint, his legal team argues that the accusations lack sufficient evidence and calls for the sanctions to be lifted.
Rejected allegations
Washington accuses Kabila of funding and aiding the Congo River Alliance (CRA), a coalition dominated by the M23 rebel faction. The former president is also blamed for encouraging Congolese soldiers to defect and for staying in Goma, eastern DRC, under M23 protection. Kabila strongly denies these claims, calling the evidence presented by the US administration “vague” and “arbitrary,” and insists no concrete proof supports the accusations.
Call for substantiated evidence
His legal team points out that no specific financial transfers to the CRA have been identified in the US case files. They also highlight that no individual Congolese soldier has been named as having deserted due to Kabila’s influence. His defense further reminds that during his presidency in 2013, the Congolese armed forces successfully dismantled the M23.
Ongoing conflict in eastern DRC
Having led the DRC from 2001 to 2019, Kabila now urges the Washington court to remove his name from the OFAC list. This legal move coincides with the persistent M23 and Congo River Alliance conflict in eastern DRC, where diplomatic efforts continue to achieve a political and security resolution.
