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Approximately ten months after signing a political deal aimed at ushering in a landmark democratic transition in the Democratic Republic of Congo, President Joseph Kabila’s subversion of the accord and the Congolese constitution places Congo at risk of much greater violence. It also creates the potential for regional instability and disruption in the supply of minerals strategically important to U.S. national security and to U.S. and other global manufacturers.

Amb. Nikki Haley is slated to travel to Congo later in October and must work to leverage the power of strong financial tools – such as targeted sanctions and anti-money laundering measures that address widespread corruption – during her visit. Amb. Haley should encourage the U.S. government to deploy these measures ahead of the visit and make clear during her meetings that these types of actions will continue, both bilaterally and multilaterally, in coordination with other partners. This type of strong action will send the message to Congo’s leaders that the United States and international community will not stand idle while Congo’s rightful democratic transition is subverted by its leaders. As a senior member of the administration, Amb. Haley’s trip is an important opportunity to support civil society’s demands and help prevent an escalation of political and economic crisis. Without outside financial pressure, given the immense profits reaped by the Kabila family and their commercial partners, there is little economic incentive for him to cede power.

President Kabila and his network rely on the U.S. dollar, euro, and international banks to launder the corrupt money they acquire. That creates major leverage for the United States and Europe. Amb Haley should be clear that the United States, in conjunction with European partners. is prepared to deploy this leverage and significantly increase financial pressure, which recently began in earnest to address the crisis in South Sudan, on the regime and its partners in order to strongly support a democratic transition in Congo.

This power grab by President Kabila and his collaborators is linked to their control over the estimated $24 trillion in natural resource wealth that state authority gives them. They have refined their violent kleptocratic tactics over the past several years, through a system in which the ruling networks and their commercial partners hijack the state for their own benefit and use violence to profit and maintain power.

👇Take Action Now: US Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley visited the Democratic Republic of Congo in October, expressing concern about the delayed elections and related humanitarian crisis.  Ask her to follow up by continuing to press for escalating financial pressures.