Democratic Republic of Congo Criticizes EU's Mineral Deal with Rwanda as ‘Clear Double Standard’

The Central African nation has described the European Union's persistent minerals partnership with Rwanda as demonstrating "clear hypocrisy" while enforcing far more extensive penalties in response to the Ukraine conflict.

Diplomatic Firm Condemnation

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the African nation's top diplomat, called for the EU to enact significantly tougher restrictions against Rwanda, which has been alleged to exacerbate the conflict in Congo's eastern region.

"This shows clear double standards – I aim to be helpful here – that leaves us questioning and inquisitive about understanding why the EU repeatedly finds it difficult so much to implement measures," she declared.

Conflict Resolution Background

The DRC and Rwanda agreed to a ceasefire deal in June, mediated by the America and Qatar, designed to conclude the decades-old dispute.

However, fatal assaults on ordinary citizens have persisted and a time limit to establish a comprehensive peace agreement was not met in August.

International Findings

Last year, a group of UN experts stated that up to 4,000 Rwandan troops were supporting the M23 insurgent faction and that the Rwandan military was in "de facto control of M23 operations."

Rwanda has repeatedly rejected supporting 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 international conference including both leaders.

"This necessitates you to command the M23 troops assisted by your country to stop this intensification, which has already caused sufficient casualties," the president declared.

European Measures

The EU has enacted measures targeting 32 people and two groups – a armed faction and a Rwandan precious metals processor dealing in unauthorized sources of the metal – for their participation in intensifying the conflict.

Despite these conclusions of rights violations by the Rwandan army in the DRC, the EU executive has resisted requests to suspend a 2024 minerals deal with Kigali.

Resource Concerns

Wagner labeled the memorandum of understanding with Rwanda as "completely untrustworthy in a context where it has been confirmed that Rwanda has been illegally extracting Congolese resources" mined under harsh circumstances of compulsory work, affecting children.

The United States and numerous nations have expressed alarm about illegal trade in mineral resources in Congo's eastern region, obtained via coerced employment, then illegally transported to Rwanda for shipment to benefit armed groups.

Human Catastrophe

The violence in eastern DRC remains one of the world's gravest human catastrophes, with exceeding 7.8 million people internally displaced in eastern DRC and 28 million experiencing hunger issues, including 4 million at crisis conditions, according to UN assessments.

Global Involvement

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

She stated that the US remains participating in the diplomatic negotiations and rejected suggestions that main concern was the DRC's significant natural resources.

EU Cooperation

The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, commenced a gathering by declaring that the EU wanted "cooperation based on shared objectives and respect for sovereignty."

She highlighted the Lobito corridor – rail, road and water transport links – joining the mineral heartlands of the DRC and Zambia to Angola's Atlantic coast.

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