The Kabila network and Zimbabwe’s role
Geopolitical fallout across Southern Africa
The human cost is equally stark. The DRC’s eastern provinces remain plagued by more than 120 armed groups, many of which receive funding from former Kabila loyalists. The UN reported 1,472 civilian deaths in North Kivu and Ituri in the first six months of 2023, a 22% increase over the same period in 2022. ‘Kabila’s sanctions are a lifeline for civilians. It cuts the oxygen that feeds these militias,’ said Alice Kabamba, a human rights lawyer in Goma. ‘But unless his successors in Kinshasa are also held accountable, the violence will continue.’ The Treasury’s action also targets three of Kabila’s close associates, including a former intelligence chief and the head of a state-owned mining company, all accused of facilitating money laundering and arms shipments.
