OFAC removes Congolese general François Olenga and Safari Club from SDN List

WASHINGTON, September 23, 2026 — The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control removed François Olenga, a senior Congolese military figure, and the Safari Club from its Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List on Wednesday.

OFAC deleted Olenga’s listing under the Democratic Republic of the Congo sanctions program, together with records for his aliases François Olenga Tete, François Olenga Tate, François Okunji and François Otshundi. The agency also removed Safari Club, including the alternate names Centre de Loisir Safari Club and Safari Beach.

The notice did not state a reason for the removals. Removal from the SDN List generally means the US blocking restrictions associated with that listing no longer apply, although parties should assess whether other sanctions or legal restrictions remain relevant.

OFAC originally sanctioned Olenga on June 1, 2017, under authorities targeting threats to peace, security or stability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Treasury said at the time that Olenga, then head of the Military House of the President, oversaw the Republican Guard and was designated in connection with actions undermining democratic processes or institutions in the country.

Safari Club, a resort business in the Kinshasa area, was designated simultaneously because Treasury said it was owned or controlled by Olenga.

Separately, OFAC made an administrative change to the existing Cuba-related listing for the Centro de Investigacion y Desarrollo de Armamento de Infanteria.