Washington DC, June 26 -- The United States has imposed sanctions on two individuals and four entities accused of supporting networks that smuggle 'conflict minerals' out of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to benefit the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group.

The move, announced by the US State Department on Thursday (local time), is aimed at disrupting illicit mineral trade and supporting the implementation of the 'Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity.'

In a post on X, US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said, "The US is sanctioning six targets supporting networks smuggling conflict minerals out of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to benefit the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group. Our actions support the Washington...