Congo Denounces EU's Rwanda Mining Partnership as ‘Evident Contradiction’

The Central African nation has described the European Union's continued minerals partnership with Rwanda as exhibiting "evident double standards" while imposing far more extensive sanctions in response to the Ukrainian crisis.

Diplomatic Firm Condemnation

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the African nation's international affairs chief, urged the EU to implement significantly tougher sanctions against Rwanda, which has been accused of fueling the conflict in Congo's eastern region.

"This shows evident double standards – I aim to be helpful here – that makes us curious and concerned about understanding why the EU continues to hesitate so much to enact sanctions," she declared.

Ceasefire Deal History

The DRC and Rwanda signed a conflict resolution in June, brokered by the US and Qatar, intending to end the protracted hostilities.

However, lethal incidents on non-combatants have continued and a target date to achieve a comprehensive peace agreement was not met in August.

UN Report

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 "effective direction of M23 operations."

Rwanda has continually refuted supporting M23 and maintains its forces act in self-protection.

Leadership Call

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

"This requires you to order the M23 troops supported by your country to end this escalation, which has already resulted in sufficient fatalities," the leader emphasized.

European Measures

The EU has enacted measures targeting 32 persons and two organizations – a militant group and a Rwandan precious metals processor handling contraband materials of the metal – for their participation in intensifying the conflict.

Despite these conclusions of rights violations by the Rwandan army in the DRC, the Brussels administration has rejected demands to cancel a 2024 minerals deal with Kigali.

Mineral Issues

Wagner characterized the agreement with Rwanda as "lacking all legitimacy in a environment where it has been established that Rwanda has been illegally extracting African wealth" extracted under brutal conditions of forced labour, including children.

The United States and various countries have expressed alarm about illicit commerce in mineral resources in Congo's eastern region, obtained via compulsory work, then trafficked to Rwanda for export to support armed groups.

Regional Emergency

The conflict in eastern DRC remains one of the world's gravest emergency situations, with exceeding 7.8 million people forced from homes in eastern DRC and 28 million facing food insecurity, including 4 million at emergency levels, according to UN assessments.

International Engagement

As the DRC's top representative, Wagner signed the deal with Rwanda at the US presidential residence in June, which also seeks to give the United States enhanced entry to DRC minerals.

She maintained that the US remains involved in the peace process and dismissed suggestions that primary interest was the DRC's significant natural resources.

European Partnership

The Brussels chief, Ursula von der Leyen, inaugurated a gathering by stating that the EU wanted "cooperation based on mutual benefits and respect for sovereignty."

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

Wagner recognized that the EU and DRC had a firm groundwork in the Lobito project, but "a great deal has been overshadowed by the crisis in Congo's east."