The European Union sanctioned three of Rwanda’s military commanders and the head of its state mining agency on Monday over its support for armed fighters in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The Rwanda-backed M23 armed group swept through the mineral-rich east of the DRC earlier this year, taking two major cities, with thousands killed and millions displaced.
The three people sanctioned by the EU included special forces commander Ruki Karusisi and two army division commanders, Eugene Nkubito and Pascal Muhizi, as well as the head of the Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board, Francis Kamanzi.
A United Nations report said last year that Kigali effectively controls the M23 and has around 4,000 troops in the country.
Kinshasa has accused Rwanda of backing the group to seize valuable minerals in the east.