WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Safari Club is registered in Kinshasa with Registration ID 1322. The entity is also known as center de Loisir Safari Club and Safari Beach. The Safari Club was registered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with Registration ID 1322, which was linked to Francois Olenga.

Why It Matters

The removal of these designations marks a shift in U.S. policy regarding specific actors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Specially Designated Nationals list serves as a mechanism to limit financial interactions with those deemed threats to national security or foreign policy interests, and delisting restores the ability to engage in transactions previously prohibited.

General License 2 accompanies the delisting, providing authorization for certain transactions that were restricted under the Democratic Republic of the Congo Sanctions Regulations. This regulatory change affects both the individual formerly sanctioned and the commercial entity associated with him, altering the legal landscape for U.S. persons engaging with these parties.

Timeline

Olenga has alternate dates of birth listed as October 9, 1948, September 10, 1948, and July 10, 1949. Olenga was originally sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury on June 1, 2017, under Executive Order 13413 for his role in undermining democratic processes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The US Treasury removed Olenga from its Specially Designated Nationals sanctions list.

What's New

Further context reveals Olenga was appointed as Chief of the Maison Militaire in 2014, overseeing the Republican Guard, which has been implicated in suppressing political opposition in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. OFAC's removal of Olenga and the Safari Club from the SDN List occurred alongside the issuance of General License 2, which authorized certain transactions under the Democratic Republic of the Congo Sanctions Regulations.

In 2017, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added François Olenga to the sanctions list. The Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list is a tool used by the U.S. Treasury to restrict financial transactions with individuals and entities linked to threats to U.S. national security or foreign policy interests. Olenga was suspended from his position as Inspector-General of the Armed Forces in 2008 after an assassination at his residence. Olenga served as Chief of Staff of Land Forces and later became head of the Military House of the President under President Joseph Kabila.

How Sources Differ

Regarding the Democratic Republic of the Congo, ofac.treasury.gov states the Safari Club was registered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with Registration ID 1322, which was linked to Olenga, while home.treasury.gov states Olenga was originally sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury on June 1, 2017, under Executive Order 13413 for his role in undermining democratic processes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

On the topic of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, home.treasury.gov states Olenga was originally sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury on June 1, 2017, under Executive Order 13413 for his role in undermining democratic processes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, whereas ofac.treasury.gov states Olenga was appointed as Chief of the Maison Militaire in 2014, overseeing the Republican Guard, which has been implicated in suppressing political opposition in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo, home.treasury.gov states Olenga was originally sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury on June 1, 2017, under Executive Order 13413 for his role in undermining democratic processes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, while US Treasury OFAC Democratic Republic of the Congo-related Designations Removals states Olenga was born in Kindu, Maniema, Democratic Republic of the Congo.