Those sanctioned include Brig Gen Sebastien Uwimbabazi, also known as Gilbert Kimenyi or Nyembo Kimenyi, who is identified by the UN as one of the top leaders of the FDLR.
Born in 1968, Uwimbabazi is originally from Murunda Sector in Rwanda’s Rutsiro District.
During the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, Uwimbabazi was a gendarmerie officer in Rwamagana, then part of Kibungo Prefecture. He later fled to Nyanza after the Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA Inkotanyi) took control of the area.
The UN said Uwimbabazi continues to support activities that threaten peace, stability and security in eastern DRC.
The second sanctioned FDLR leader is Col Gustave Kubwayo, also known as Sirkoof, who heads the group’s special forces unit known as CRAP. He took over the unit after its former commander Protogene Ruvugayimikore, alias Col Ruhinda, was killed in December 2023.
Kubwayo, born in 1969, is from Karago Sector in Nyabihu District, Rwanda. He is accused of supporting FDLR operations targeting civilians, including kidnappings for ransom, as well as involvement in the illegal exploitation of natural resources in DRC.
In June 2026, the United States also sanctioned Kubwayo, saying he had led FDLR fighters operating in Nyiragongo Territory since 2022.
A UN Group of Experts report released in late June 2026 described FDLR as a continuing threat to peace and security in eastern DRC and the wider region. The report said the group has continued rebuilding its capacity, with support from authorities in Kinshasa.
FDLR claims to have more than 10,000 fighters, with about half involved in active military operations.
However, UN officials and intelligence agencies estimate the group’s strength at between 3,500 and 4,500 fighters. The Washington Accords also estimated its forces at between 3,000 and 3,500 members.
The UN Security Council also sanctioned other individuals linked to armed groups in eastern DRC, including AFC/M23 leader Corneille Nangaa, Col Nzenze Imani, who oversees intelligence and military operations for the alliance, and Brig Gen Charles Sematama, commander of the Twirwaneho armed group operating in Minembwe.
Nangaa was sanctioned over his leadership role in AFC, which the UN says works with the M23 armed group already under sanctions. Col Nzenze was sanctioned for his role in leading activities of a sanctioned armed group, while Brig Gen Sematama was accused of leading a group involved in attacks against civilians, recruitment of children into armed forces and activities undermining peace and security.
Mohammed Lumisa, a doctor and external supplies coordinator for the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) terrorist group, was also sanctioned. The UN identifies him as originating from Kampala, Uganda.
UN sanctions include freezing assets held in member states, imposing travel bans and making individuals subject to arrest by international law enforcement bodies such as Interpol.
Leave a Reply