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Rwanda has identified Zambia among several Southern African countries reportedly hosting individuals sanctioned by its Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) for alleged involvement in terrorism and terrorism financing.
The Rwandan government named 25 individuals on the sanctions list, including Colonel Sylvestre Sebahinzi, alias Zinga Zinga ZZ, a nephew of former president Juvénal Habyarimana.
Born in 1961 in Nyabihu District, Sebahinzi is reportedly residing in Lusaka, Zambia.
According to Rwanda’s FIC, Sebahinzi is accused of being an active member of the Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda (FDLR) and a key mobilizer of financial support for the group across Southern Africa.
During his time as an FDLR sector commander between 2006 and 2009, he allegedly led attacks and presided over so-called “Kangaroo courts” that executed civilians in eastern Congo.
The sanctions list, approved on October 14, 2025, under the Prime Minister’s Order No. 001/03 of January 22, 2025, includes individuals living across Africa, Europe, and North America.
It represents one of Rwanda’s most extensive efforts to disrupt global networks linked to anti-Rwanda armed groups.
Authorities said the list draws from intelligence reports, court rulings, United Nations findings, and open-source media evidence.
Those named are reportedly linked to groups such as the FDLR, Rwanda National Congress (RNC), Conseil National pour le Renouveau et la Démocratie–Forces de Libération Nationale (CNRD-FLN), and Rally for Unity and Democracy (RUD)-Urunana.
Other countries with listed individuals include the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, France, Canada, Belgium, the United States, Kenya, Mozambique, Burundi, Britain, and Uganda.
According to Rwanda’s National Counter Terrorism Committee, all 25 individuals face travel bans, asset freezes, and other restrictions within the country’s jurisdiction.
Officials emphasized that the measures were preventive and targeted, adding that affected individuals could appeal or seek delisting through procedures outlined in the Prime Minister’s Order.
They further said the move sent a clear message that Rwanda “would pursue the financing and organization of terrorism wherever it originates.”
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However, the Organization of Rwandan Refugees has strongly condemned the creation of the list, rejecting the government’s labeling of 25 refugees as terrorists threatening national peace.
Spokespersons, Emmanuel Senga, and Joram Siborurema accused the Kagame administration of continuous harassment of Rwandan refugees abroad, including assassinations and abductions.
“The Rwandan government should be the first to be accused of state terrorism, practiced in neighboring countries like Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, by assassinating UN peacekeepers and Rwandan refugees,” Senga and Siborurema said.
The duo vowed that their organization would “combat all criminal acts and intentions used by the Rwandan government to discredit and harm Rwandan refugees.”
They alleged that the list was published to distract from “the difficult situation the FPR government is facing.”
“Instead of manipulating international opinion, the FPR government should understand it’s time to convene all Rwandans around a table to discuss and make decisions on good governance, aiming for the well-being of the Rwandan people,” the spokespersons said.
The group further claimed that the list was being used as a political weapon against refugees and urged host countries to ignore it.
They also called on the international community to compel the Rwandan Patriotic Front (FPR) to release all political prisoners, open political space, and withdraw its military forces from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“The Organization calls on the individuals on the list and all Rwandan refugees not to be distracted by these maneuvers but to combat the FPR’s terror,” they added.
Senga and Siborurema urged the Kagame administration to halt the publication of such lists and instead convene a national dialogue to foster democratic change, peace, and social well-being for all Rwandans.
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