The United Nations Security Council has imposed sanctions on two senior leaders of the FDLR, an armed group operating in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo that is designated as a terrorist organization by Rwanda.
One of those sanctioned is Brig. Gen. Sebastien Uwimbabazi, also known as Gilbert Kimenyi or Nyembo Kimenyi. In its statement, the UN Security Council identified him as one of the senior leaders of the FDLR.
Uwimbabazi, who was born in 1968 and is originally from Murunda Sector in Rwanda’s Rutsiro District, is currently believed to be based in Rutshuru Territory in North Kivu Province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
According to the UN statement, Uwimbabazi continues to play a role in activities that threaten or undermine peace, security, and stability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is accused of supporting such operations.
The statement also notes that during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, Uwimbabazi served as a gendarme in Rwamagana, then part of Kibungo Prefecture, before fleeing as the RPA forces advanced. It further states that after arriving in Nyanza, he allegedly supplied weapons to members of the “Dragons” militia, a group accused of carrying out attacks against Tutsi civilians in Nyabisindu Commune and surrounding areas in the former Gitarama Prefecture.
The second individual sanctioned is Col. Gustave Kubwayo, also known as Sirkoof. According to the UN Security Council, he has led the FDLR’s special forces wing, known as CRAP, since the death of Protogene Ruvugayimikore, also known as Col. Ruhinda, in December 2023.
Kubwayo, who was born in 1969 and is originally from Karago in Rwanda’s Nyabihu District, is accused of planning and supporting FDLR operations targeting civilians, including kidnappings for ransom and the illegal exploitation of natural resources in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In early June 2026, the United States also imposed sanctions on Col. Kubwayo, stating that he had commanded FDLR fighters operating in Nyiragongo Territory since 2022.
A report by the UN Group of Experts, published in late June 2026, described the FDLR as an armed group that continues to threaten peace and security in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and the wider region. The report also alleged that the group has continued to rebuild its capabilities with support from the government in Kinshasa.
The FDLR claims to have more than 10,000 fighters, with nearly half of them engaged in active military operations. Its CRAP unit claims to have over 20,000 fighters.
However, UN assessments and intelligence agencies estimate that the FDLR’s total strength is between 3,500 and 4,500 combatants. The Washington peace agreement similarly estimated the group’s strength at between 3,000 and 3,500 fighters.
In June 2025, the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) stated that the FDLR had between 7,000 and 10,000 fighters at the time, alleging that the group routinely blends into civilian populations when it learns of impending military operations.
The UN Security Council also imposed sanctions on AFC/M23 leader Corneille Nangaa, Col. Nzenze Imani, who oversees intelligence and military operations within the alliance, and Brig. Gen. Charles Sematama, commander of the Twirwaneho armed group operating in Minembwe Commune.
The Security Council, which was chaired by the Democratic Republic of the Congo in July 2026, did not provide a detailed explanation for sanctioning Nangaa beyond stating that the AFC alliance he leads is affiliated with the sanctioned ARC/M23 movement. Col. Nzenze was sanctioned for commanding operations of a sanctioned armed group, while Brig. Gen. Sematama was designated over allegations that the Twirwaneho group committed abuses including the killing of civilians, the recruitment of child soldiers, and actions deemed to threaten peace and civilian security.
Mohammed Lumisa, identified by the UN as a medical officer and external logistics coordinator for the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), was also sanctioned. According to the UN, he is originally from Kampala, Uganda.
The UN sanctions include the freezing of any assets held in UN member states, an international travel ban, and obligations on member states to enforce the sanctions. Interpol may issue notices to assist law enforcement authorities in implementing such measures, where applicable.
