On Tuesday, August 11, 2025, an armed group located in the Democratic Republic of Congo was sanctioned by the United States. The group is accused of illegal mining. Two other Chinese companies are also involved.

The Coalition of Congolese Patriots Resistants-Force de Frappe (PAeco-FF), an armed group, according to Washington, opposed the M23 supported by Rwanda, which rapidly gained ground in eastern DRC at the beginning of the year. Thus, the country announced that it had frozen the assets and restricted the group's transactions. Pareco-FF is a key player in Rubaya, in eastern DRC, where a mine produces between 15 and 30% of the global supply of coltan, an essential mineral used in electronic devices such as laptops and mobile phones

In a statement, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said that “the United States is sending a clear message: no armed group or commercial entity is safe from sanctions if it undermines peace, stability, or security in the DRC.”

These sanctions were announced as the Congolese army accuses M23 activists of carrying out multiple attacks against its positions, despite a ceasefire brokered by the United States and welcomed by President Donald Trump in June.

The United States also imposed sanctions on a Congolese mining company and two companies based in Hong Kong, accused of buying minerals from the armed group.