On 6 May 2026, Congolese president Félix Tshisekedi held a press conference in Kinshasa addressing the U.S. Treasury’s 30 April sanctions against former president Joseph Kabila.

Tshisekedi told reporters that the sanctions were justified, saying Washington was merely formalizing concerns he had raised for years about Kabila’s role in the conflict in eastern DR Congo.

He argued that the measures stemmed from Kabila’s alleged support for insurgents and consequent harm to American interests, and remarked that the United States is “not made up of choirboys” but acts decisively when its strategic interests are threatened.

The president stressed that recent security agreements with Washington do not erode Congo’s sovereignty.

He said he would never accept any accord that infringes on national sovereignty and described the partnerships as tools to restore peace in the east, halt support for armed groups and secure the country’s borders. “Silencing the guns,” he argued, is the primary aim of these agreements rather than any transfer of authority.

The United States sanctioned Kabila for allegedly providing financial support to the M23 rebel group and its political arm, the Congo River Alliance (AFC), and for undermining stability in eastern DR Congo. The sanctions freeze any U.S.‑based assets and bar transactions with U.S. entities.

Reuters reported that Congolese Deputy Prime Minister Jacquemain Shabani welcomed the move, calling Kabila an architect of the country’s destabilization. Opposition politicians aligned with Kabila have, however, condemned the sanctions as arbitrary and politically motivated