UN Security Council Imposes Sanctions on Eastern Congo Armed Group Leaders

The United Nations Security Council has imposed sanctions on leaders of armed groups active in eastern Congo, including the Rwandan-backed AFC/M23 rebels and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). The sanctions, announced on Thursday, target six individuals and two entities with an arms embargo, travel ban, and assets freeze, in an effort to curb the escalating conflict in the region. The conflict is rooted in the aftermath of Rwanda's 1994 genocide, and fighting intensified last year with the AFC/M23 rebel group seizing large areas.