🔗 Share this article

The Democratic Republic of Congo has described the European Union's continued minerals partnership with Rwanda as demonstrating "obvious double standards" while enforcing much broader penalties in response to the Ukrainian crisis.

Government Firm Condemnation

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the DRC's foreign minister, called for the EU to impose much stronger measures against Rwanda, which has been alleged to exacerbate the conflict in DRC's eastern territories.

"This shows clear double standards – I want to be constructive here – that makes us wondering and inquisitive about grasping why the EU continues to hesitate so much to implement measures," she stated.

Conflict Resolution Background

The DRC and Rwanda agreed to a conflict resolution in June, facilitated by the America and Qatar, designed to end the decades-old conflict.

However, lethal incidents on ordinary citizens have continued and a deadline to achieve a final settlement was passed without success in August.

Expert Assessment

Last year, a United Nations panel stated that up to 4,000 Rwandan troops were fighting alongside the M23 militant organization and that the Rwandan military was in "effective direction of M23 operations."

Rwanda has continually refuted backing M23 and maintains its forces act in self-defence.

Presidential Appeal

The DRC president, Félix Tshisekedi, recently called upon his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, to cease backing armed groups in the DRC during a international conference attended by both leaders.

"This requires you to instruct the M23 troops assisted by your country to stop this deterioration, which has already led to numerous casualties," the president declared.

European Measures

The EU has imposed restrictions against 32 people and two organizations – a rebel organization and a Rwandan precious metals processor dealing in unauthorized sources of the metal – for their participation in prolonging the conflict.

Despite these determinations of human rights abuses by the Rwandan army in the DRC, the European Commission has declined demands to suspend a 2024 mining agreement with Kigali.

Resource Concerns

Wagner characterized the partnership with Rwanda as "void of any credibility in a environment where it has been confirmed that Rwanda has been diverting Congolese resources" mined under brutal conditions of forced labour, involving children.

The United States and numerous nations have raised concerns about illicit commerce in gold and tantalum in Congo's eastern region, obtained via forced labour, then illegally transported to Rwanda for shipment to support armed groups.

Humanitarian Crisis

The violence in eastern DRC remains one of the world's gravest human catastrophes, with over 7.8 million people relocated within country in the region and 28 million experiencing nutritional challenges, including 4 million at critical stages, according to UN data.

Global Involvement

As the DRC's chief diplomat, Wagner approved the deal with Rwanda at the White House in June, which also seeks to give the United States expanded opportunity to African wealth.

She asserted that the US remains participating in the peace process and dismissed suggestions that sole motivation was the DRC's vast mineral wealth.

EU Cooperation

The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, opened a conference by declaring that the EU wanted "collaboration based on common interests and acknowledging autonomy."

She featured the Lobito corridor – rail, road and water transport links – joining 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 "a great deal has been diminished by the situation in eastern DRC."