DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The U.S. government on Tuesday sanctioned an armed group accused of illicit trading in minerals in eastern Congo as Washington tries to spearhead peace efforts there while pushing for U.S. access to the region’s minerals.

A senior U.S. government official who spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of the formal announcement said the State and Treasury departments are sanctioning the CODECO armed group, which controlled the key coltan mining site of Rubaya from 2022 to early 2024.

“During this period, CODECO generated revenue by overseeing mining operations, collecting illegal fees and taxes for miners and engaging in mineral smuggling. It also imposed forced labor and executed civilians in mining areas under its control,” the official said in Washington.

The U.S. is

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