🔗 Share this article

The DRC has described the European Union's ongoing minerals partnership with Rwanda as showing "clear hypocrisy" while imposing far more extensive restrictions in response to the war in Ukraine.

Government Strong Criticism

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the Congo's top diplomat, called for the EU to impose much stronger restrictions against Rwanda, which has been charged with intensifying the violence in DRC's eastern territories.

"This demonstrates obvious inconsistency – I strive to be constructive here – that makes us questioning and concerned about grasping why the EU continues to hesitate so much to implement measures," she declared.

Conflict Resolution Context

The DRC and Rwanda agreed to a peace agreement in June, brokered by the America and Qatar, designed to conclude the decades-old hostilities.

However, deadly attacks on ordinary citizens have endured and a deadline to reach a comprehensive peace agreement was not met in August.

International Findings

Last year, a United Nations panel reported that up to 4,000 Rwandan troops were operating with the M23 insurgent faction and that the Rwandan military was in "de facto control of M23 operations."

Rwanda has repeatedly rejected assisting M23 and maintains its forces act in self-protection.

Diplomatic Request

The DRC president, Félix Tshisekedi, recently called upon his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, to stop supporting armed groups in the DRC during a European gathering featuring both leaders.

"This necessitates you to instruct the M23 troops backed by your country to end this escalation, which has already caused numerous deaths," Tshisekedi stated.

International Restrictions

The EU has placed sanctions on 32 individuals and two organizations – a militant group and a Rwandan mineral treatment facility dealing in unauthorized sources of the metal – for their involvement in prolonging the conflict.

Despite these determinations of human rights abuses by the Rwandan army in the DRC, the European Commission has resisted requests to cancel a 2024 minerals deal with Kigali.

Mineral Issues

Wagner characterized the agreement with Rwanda as "completely untrustworthy in a situation where it has been confirmed that Rwanda has been siphoning off African wealth" extracted under harsh circumstances of compulsory work, involving children.

The United States and various countries have raised concerns about unauthorized transactions in precious metals in eastern Congo, extracted via compulsory work, then smuggled to Rwanda for export to support militant factions.

Regional Emergency

The violence in Congo's east remains one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with over 7.8 million people internally displaced in affected areas and 28 million experiencing nutritional challenges, including 4 million at crisis conditions, according to UN data.

Global Involvement

As the DRC's top representative, Wagner ratified the deal with Rwanda at the American administration in June, which also seeks to give the United States enhanced entry to DRC minerals.

She asserted that the US remains engaged in the resolution efforts and denied suggestions that sole motivation was the DRC's significant natural resources.

EU Cooperation

The Brussels chief, Ursula von der Leyen, inaugurated a conference by declaring that the EU wanted "cooperation based on shared objectives and respect for sovereignty."

She highlighted the Lobito corridor – multi-modal transport links – connecting the mining regions of the DRC and Zambia to Angola's western shoreline.

Wagner recognized that the EU and DRC had a strong foundation in the Lobito project, but "a great deal has been overshadowed by the situation in the troubled region."