Fayulu Urges Aid Freeze on Kigali Over UN Resolution 2773

Congolese opposition leader Martin Fayulu has called on democratic countries to suspend aid to Rwanda until there is full compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 2773, arguing that the latest U.S. sanctions on the Rwanda Defence Force and four senior officers should be followed by broader diplomatic pressure. His position came after Washington announced sanctions on March 2, 2026 against the RDF and four commanders over their role in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo crisis.

Fayulu said the U.S. move was a welcome step but not enough, aligning himself with Denis Mukwege’s call for tougher international action on Kigali. The political message marks a push to move beyond targeted sanctions and toward wider measures tied to implementation of the UN resolution adopted on February 21, 2025.

Resolution 2773 called on M23 to halt its offensive, withdraw from areas under its control, and dismantle parallel administrations in eastern DRC. It also demanded that the Rwanda Defence Force cease support for M23 and withdraw from Congolese territory without preconditions, while urging renewed regional diplomacy.

The U.S. sanctions target the RDF as an institution and four senior officers: Mubarakh Muganga, Vincent Nyakarundi, Ruki Karusisi, and Stanislas Gashugi. Under the sanctions, any property or interests in property subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with the designated targets.

Fayulu’s intervention adds opposition pressure from Kinshasa to a growing international effort to force compliance with UN demands over the conflict in eastern DRC. By explicitly calling for an aid suspension, he is framing the next step not simply as condemnation, but as coordinated leverage by countries that support peace and accountability in the region.