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The DRC has described the European Union's continued minerals agreement with Rwanda as exhibiting "obvious hypocrisy" while imposing significantly wider restrictions in response to the Ukraine conflict.

Foreign Minister's Sharp Rebuke

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the DRC's international affairs chief, urged the EU to enact much stronger sanctions against Rwanda, which has been accused of fueling the unrest in DRC's eastern territories.

"This shows obvious inconsistency – I strive to be productive here – that leaves us questioning and concerned about comprehending why the EU repeatedly finds it difficult so much to enact sanctions," she declared.

Conflict Resolution Context

The DRC and Rwanda signed a ceasefire deal in June, facilitated by the America and Qatar, aiming to resolve the protracted conflict.

However, fatal assaults on non-combatants have persisted and a deadline to reach a comprehensive peace agreement was passed without success in August.

International Findings

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

Rwanda has consistently denied backing M23 and claims its forces act in self-protection.

Leadership Call

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

"This demands you to instruct the M23 troops supported by your country to halt this deterioration, which has already led to enough fatalities," the leader emphasized.

European Measures

The EU has placed sanctions on 32 individuals and two organizations – a militant group and a Rwandan precious metals processor dealing in unauthorized sources of the metal – for their participation in intensifying the conflict.

Despite these findings of human rights abuses by the Rwandan army in the DRC, the European Commission has rejected requests to terminate a 2024 mining agreement with Kigali.

Economic Implications

Wagner labeled the partnership with Rwanda as "completely untrustworthy in a environment where it has been established that Rwanda has been diverting Congolese resources" obtained under brutal conditions of forced labour, affecting children.

The United States and various countries have voiced apprehension about unauthorized transactions in gold and tantalum in Congo's eastern region, obtained via coerced employment, then trafficked to Rwanda for international trade to support rebel organizations.

Human Catastrophe

The violence in Congo's east remains one of the world's most severe emergency situations, with more than 7.8 million people forced from homes in eastern DRC and 28 million facing hunger issues, including 4 million at emergency levels, according to UN assessments.

International Engagement

As the DRC's principal negotiator, Wagner approved the agreement with Rwanda at the White House in June, which also seeks to give the United States enhanced entry to African wealth.

She stated that the US remains involved in the resolution efforts and rejected claims that sole motivation was the DRC's extensive resource deposits.

International Collaboration

The EU leader, Ursula von der Leyen, inaugurated a summit by emphasizing that the EU wanted "cooperation based on shared objectives and acknowledging autonomy."

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

Wagner recognized that the EU and DRC had a solid basis in the Lobito project, but "significant aspects has been eclipsed by the conflict in eastern DRC."