🔗 Share this article

The Central African nation has labeled the European Union's persistent minerals deal with Rwanda as showing "evident hypocrisy" while implementing significantly wider penalties in response to the war in Ukraine.

Diplomatic Sharp Rebuke

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the African nation's foreign minister, urged the EU to impose much stronger sanctions against Rwanda, which has been alleged to exacerbate the conflict in Congo's eastern region.

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

Conflict Resolution Context

The DRC and Rwanda agreed to a ceasefire deal in June, mediated by the United States and Qatar, aiming to end the long-standing dispute.

However, fatal assaults on non-combatants have persisted and a deadline to achieve a lasting resolution was passed without success in August.

International Findings

Last year, a international assessment team found that up to 4,000 Rwandan troops were supporting the M23 rebel group 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.

Diplomatic Request

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

"This demands you to command the M23 troops assisted by your country to end this escalation, which has already resulted in numerous fatalities," the president declared.

EU Sanctions

The EU has imposed restrictions against 32 individuals and two groups – a rebel organization and a Rwandan gold refiner dealing in illegal supplies of the metal – for their involvement in intensifying the conflict.

Despite these conclusions of human rights abuses by the Rwandan army in the DRC, the European Commission has resisted calls to cancel a 2024 resource partnership with Kigali.

Economic Implications

Wagner labeled the partnership with Rwanda as "completely untrustworthy in a situation where it has been established that Rwanda has been siphoning off African wealth" obtained under severe situations of compulsory work, affecting children.

The United States and many others have expressed alarm about illegal trade in mineral resources in eastern Congo, obtained via coerced employment, then smuggled to Rwanda for international trade to benefit rebel organizations.

Humanitarian Crisis

The unrest in eastern DRC remains one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with exceeding 7.8 million people relocated within country in eastern DRC and 28 million facing nutritional challenges, including 4 million at crisis conditions, according to UN reports.

Global Involvement

As the DRC's top representative, Wagner ratified the agreement with Rwanda at the White House in June, which also aims to give the United States expanded opportunity to Congolese natural resources.

She asserted that the US remains participating in the resolution efforts and rejected allegations that main concern 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 common interests and honoring independence."

She emphasized the Lobito corridor – rail, road and water transport links – linking the mining regions of the DRC and Zambia to Angola's Atlantic coast.

Wagner admitted that the EU and DRC had a firm groundwork in the Lobito project, but "a great deal has been diminished by the crisis in the troubled region."