Dear Supporter,

In a key victory for the fight against corruption, the US government on Monday revoked the license issued to mining tycoon Dan Gertler, restoring sanctions previously imposed under the Global Magnitsky anti-corruption program. Gertler was involved in extensive public corruption relating to mining deals in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and has been at the heart of the kleptocratic system in that country.

The announcement demonstrates the power of advocacy and public awareness in creating pressure for change. Over the last six weeks, The Sentry has partnered with a broad coalition of Congolese civil society groups and international NGOs calling for the quick reversal of the last-minute license issued in secret by the outgoing Trump administration. The story received front-page coverage by the New York Times, as well as stories by Reuters, Bloomberg, and many others. Our team worked behind the scenes with Senate and Congressional offices to push for action, and we led a group of prominent US civil society groups calling on banks not to unblock Gertler or his networks.

The decision to revoke the license allows critical anti-corruption efforts in the DRC to get back on track and restores the credibility of the Global Magnitsky program more broadly. Most importantly, it sends a clear signal to corrupt businesspeople globally that there are consequences for seeking to profit from conflict and bad governance.

The Sentry could not have done this without your steadfast support. But the fight against high-level corruption in the DRC is far from over. In this op-ed, John Prendergast and I highlight further actions that the US, EU, and others need to take to dismantle the kleptocratic system. We look forward to building on the success of this campaign and working with our Congolese and international partners to continue pushing for stronger action.

Thank you,

Sasha Lezhnev
Deputy Director of Policy
The Sentry