DRC Condemns EU's Mineral Deal with Rwanda as ‘Obvious Hypocrisy’

The Central African nation has labeled the European Union's continued minerals partnership with Rwanda as demonstrating "obvious contradiction" while implementing significantly wider restrictions in response to the war in Ukraine.

Diplomatic Firm Condemnation

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

"This shows obvious double standards – I want to be productive here – that makes us curious and inquisitive about comprehending why the EU continues to hesitate so much to enact sanctions," she emphasized.

Ceasefire Deal Context

The DRC and Rwanda agreed to a conflict resolution in June, brokered by the America and Qatar, aiming to resolve the protracted hostilities.

However, lethal incidents on civilians have endured and a time limit to achieve a comprehensive peace agreement was missed in August.

Expert Assessment

Last year, a group of UN experts reported that up to 4,000 Rwandan troops were fighting alongside the M23 insurgent faction and that the Rwandan military was in "effective direction of M23 operations."

Rwanda has consistently denied assisting M23 and maintains its forces act in national security.

Presidential Appeal

The DRC president, Félix Tshisekedi, recently appealed to his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, to end assistance to militants in the DRC during a Brussels event including both leaders.

"This demands you to command the M23 troops backed by your country to halt this escalation, which has already resulted in sufficient deaths," the leader emphasized.

European Measures

The EU has placed sanctions on 32 people and two groups – a militant group and a Rwandan gold refiner processing contraband materials of the metal – for their participation in fuelling the conflict.

Despite these conclusions of international law breaches by the Rwandan army in the DRC, the EU executive has rejected demands to terminate a 2024 minerals deal with Kigali.

Resource Concerns

Wagner labeled the memorandum of understanding with Rwanda as "lacking all legitimacy in a context where it has been established that Rwanda has been illegally extracting DRC minerals" extracted under severe situations of forced labour, including children.

The United States and numerous nations have voiced apprehension about unauthorized transactions in precious metals in Congo's eastern region, mined via coerced employment, then smuggled to Rwanda for international trade to benefit armed groups.

Human Catastrophe

The unrest in Congo's east remains one of the world's worst emergency situations, with more than 7.8 million people forced from homes in affected areas and 28 million experiencing food insecurity, including 4 million at critical stages, according to UN assessments.

Diplomatic Efforts

As the DRC's principal negotiator, Wagner approved the agreement with Rwanda at the American administration in June, which also attempts to give the United States greater access to African wealth.

She stated that the US remains participating in the resolution efforts and rejected claims that main concern was the DRC's significant natural resources.

European Partnership

The Brussels chief, Ursula von der Leyen, inaugurated a gathering by emphasizing that the EU wanted "collaboration based on mutual benefits and acknowledging autonomy."

She featured the Lobito corridor – transportation infrastructure transport links – connecting the mineral heartlands of the DRC and Zambia to Angola's Atlantic coast.

Wagner recognized that the EU and DRC had a strong foundation in the Lobito project, but "much has been diminished by the crisis in eastern DRC."