Saleh Assi, the businessman who has become a liability within the Lebanese sphere in the DRC, as reported by Africa Intelligence.
While he has been under US sanctions since 2019, Lebanese national Saleh Assi continues to thrive between his home country, the DRC, and Europe. Despite growing pressure from Washington, his network and political contacts allow him to maintain an empire that both intrigues and alarms observers.
The US administration suspects Assi of establishing complex systems, utilizing intermediaries and shell companies, and leveraging his political connections to evade sanctions—accusations he denies.
Most Lebanese residing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have distanced themselves from Saleh Assi to avoid having their own businesses scrutinized by the United States.
Assi, targeted by US sanctions in December 2019 for his alleged role in financing Hezbollah, reportedly attempted to pressure influential figures within the Lebanese community in the Congo, such as the Salhab clan and Ibrahim Issaoui, which has only served to alienate the community further.
The Lebanese community in the DRC is increasingly wary of Assi, fearing that mere religious affiliation could attract the attention of the US Department of the Treasury (OFAC) and lead to potential sanctions. Since the sanctions were imposed on him, Assi has attempted—unsuccessfully—to gain the support of other figures in the Lebanese business world. According to several accounts (which Assi refutes), he allegedly resorted to blackmail, threatening to reveal their alleged ties to Hezbollah in order to exert pressure.
* The Salhab Clan: Owners of Angel Cosmetics, the Salhab clan was specifically named among the targets of Assi’s threats.
* Ibrahim Issaoui: Head of the Socimex group and known for presiding over the Lebanese community association in the DRC, Issaoui has been the subject of rumors regarding ties to Hezbollah for years. To counter these rumors, he proactively transmitted all his accounts to the US Department of the Treasury in Washington, and his name does not appear on the OFAC sanctions list.
Despite the sanctions, Assi’s business empire, particularly in flour milling (which earned him the nickname “The Bread King”), has remained largely flourishing, though he denies this by claiming his accounts are frozen. The US administration suspects him of using a system involving front persons (nominees), such as Jeff and Rosetta Bokungulu, to bypass sanctions, and is working to extend these measures to his inner circle.
Coco Kabwika
