🔗 Share this article Congo Denounces EU's Rwanda Minerals Agreement as ‘Evident Contradiction’ The Democratic Republic of Congo has described the European Union's persistent minerals partnership with Rwanda as exhibiting "evident double standards" while implementing significantly wider sanctions in response to the Ukraine conflict. Foreign Minister's Sharp Rebuke Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the Congo's top diplomat, called for the EU to implement much stronger sanctions against Rwanda, which has been accused of fueling the conflict in DRC's eastern territories. "This shows evident hypocrisy – I strive to be constructive here – that leaves us wondering and interested about grasping why the EU continues to hesitate so much to implement measures," she emphasized. Peace Agreement Context The DRC and Rwanda agreed to a peace agreement in June, mediated by the United States and Qatar, intending to end the decades-old hostilities. However, fatal assaults on non-combatants have endured and a time limit to achieve a lasting resolution was missed in August. International Findings Last year, a United Nations panel reported that up to 4,000 Rwandan troops were fighting alongside the M23 rebel group and that the Rwandan military was in "de facto control of M23 operations." Rwanda has repeatedly rejected assisting M23 and claims its forces act in self-protection. Diplomatic Request The DRC president, Félix Tshisekedi, recently urged his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, to stop supporting rebel forces in the DRC during a European gathering attended by both leaders. "This requires you to instruct the M23 troops backed by your country to halt this intensification, which has already caused numerous fatalities," the leader emphasized. EU Sanctions The EU has enacted measures targeting 32 individuals and two organizations – a militant group and a Rwandan gold refiner handling unauthorized sources of the metal – for their involvement in fuelling the conflict. Despite these findings of international law breaches by the Rwandan army in the DRC, the Brussels administration has declined demands to cancel a 2024 minerals deal with Kigali. Mineral Issues Wagner characterized the partnership with Rwanda as "lacking all legitimacy in a situation where it has been established that Rwanda has been siphoning off DRC minerals" extracted under harsh circumstances of forced labour, including children. The United States and various countries have voiced apprehension about illegal trade in gold and tantalum in eastern Congo, mined via coerced employment, then trafficked to Rwanda for international trade to benefit rebel organizations. Human Catastrophe The unrest in eastern DRC remains one of the world's most severe emergency situations, with over 7.8 million people forced from homes in the region and 28 million experiencing nutritional challenges, including 4 million at critical stages, according to UN assessments. International Engagement As the DRC's principal negotiator, Wagner signed the agreement with Rwanda at the White House in June, which also seeks to give the United States enhanced entry to DRC minerals. She stated that the US remains participating in the peace process and rejected allegations that main concern was the DRC's vast mineral wealth. EU Cooperation The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, inaugurated a summit by declaring that the EU wanted "partnerships based on shared objectives and honoring independence." She highlighted 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 Congo's east."