Congo Denounces EU's Rwanda Mining Partnership as ‘Obvious Hypocrisy’

The DRC has described the European Union's continued minerals agreement with Rwanda as demonstrating "evident double standards" while enforcing far more extensive restrictions in response to the Ukrainian crisis.

Government Sharp Rebuke

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the Congo's foreign minister, demanded the EU to enact far more severe sanctions against Rwanda, which has been alleged to exacerbate the conflict in eastern DRC.

"This demonstrates clear hypocrisy – I strive to be constructive here – that makes us questioning and interested about comprehending why the EU continues to hesitate so much to take action," she stated.

Peace Agreement Background

The DRC and Rwanda signed a ceasefire deal in June, mediated by the US and Qatar, intending to end the long-standing dispute.

However, lethal incidents on civilians have endured and a time limit to reach a comprehensive peace agreement was passed without success in August.

UN Report

Last year, a group of UN experts reported that up to 4,000 Rwandan troops were operating with the M23 insurgent faction and that the Rwandan military was in "actual command of M23 operations."

Rwanda has continually refuted assisting M23 and claims its forces act in national security.

Leadership Call

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

"This demands you to instruct the M23 troops assisted by your country to stop this intensification, which has already caused numerous deaths," the president declared.

European Measures

The EU has placed sanctions on 32 people and two entities – a rebel organization and a Rwandan precious metals processor handling unauthorized sources of the metal – for their role in intensifying the conflict.

Despite these findings of human rights abuses by the Rwandan army in the DRC, the Brussels administration has declined calls to terminate a 2024 resource partnership with Kigali.

Resource Concerns

Wagner described the partnership with Rwanda as "completely untrustworthy in a situation where it has been confirmed that Rwanda has been diverting Congolese resources" obtained under harsh circumstances of compulsory work, affecting children.

The United States and many others have voiced apprehension about illegal trade in gold and tantalum in eastern Congo, obtained via compulsory work, then smuggled to Rwanda for shipment to finance armed groups.

Human Catastrophe

The unrest in eastern DRC remains one of the world's worst emergency situations, with over 7.8 million people internally displaced in the region and 28 million experiencing food insecurity, including 4 million at crisis conditions, according to UN reports.

International Engagement

As the DRC's top representative, Wagner approved the accord with Rwanda at the White House in June, which also aims to give the United States greater access to African wealth.

She asserted that the US remains involved in the resolution efforts and denied claims that sole motivation was the DRC's vast mineral wealth.

EU Cooperation

The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, commenced a conference by emphasizing that the EU wanted "cooperation based on shared objectives and acknowledging autonomy."

She featured the Lobito corridor – multi-modal transport links – connecting the resource-rich areas of the DRC and Zambia to Angola's Atlantic coast.

Wagner recognized that the EU and DRC had a firm groundwork in the Lobito project, but "much has been eclipsed by the conflict in eastern DRC."