Two Congolese generals blacklisted by the United States are now at the center of a transnational gold smuggling network, working alongside a notorious Sudanese cartel leader to traffic illicit gold into Kenya through Uganda.
General Gabriel Amisi Kumba, the Chief of General Staff of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and General John Numbi, former inspector of the National Police, were sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury for undermining democratic institutions and violently repressing opposition voices. Their assets in the U.S. were frozen, and American entities were barred from doing business with them.
Despite the sanctions, both generals have remained active in criminal dealings, allegedly operating through a logistics company based in Nakawa, Kampala, to facilitate illegal gold shipments abroad.
Intelligence now reveals that they recently smuggled 106 kilograms of gold into Kenya as part of a broader operation involving Sudanese cartel kingpin Osman Abdelazim Hussein Mohammed.
Osman, long associated with illicit mineral and arms trafficking in the region, is believed to be coordinating logistics and laundering routes.
He is reportedly working closely with a Ghanaian broker identified as John Choro Padoh who has been tasked with establishing new buyer networks and financial channels in East Africa.
The Kenyan end of the operation is reportedly focused on expanding the cartel’s reach and influence, using Nairobi as a gateway to global markets. The involvement of high-level military officers and cartel leaders has raised alarm among security experts and regional watchdogs.
General Amisi is accused of commanding military units that blocked political protests in Kinshasa, while General Numbi allegedly threatened to assassinate opposition candidates during the DRC’s March elections if they did not drop out of the race.
The government of the DRC has not commented on the new allegations. Similarly, Ugandan and Kenyan authorities have remained silent, despite growing evidence that their jurisdictions are being exploited by international criminals in defiance of global sanctions.
Analysts are warning that the unchecked activities of such figures threaten not only regional security but also economic stability, as illicit gold continues to fund armed groups and corrupt networks. Human rights organizations and anti-corruption bodies are calling for swift regional cooperation to investigate and dismantle the smuggling syndicate before it further destabilizes the Great Lakes region.
