Congo Denounces EU's Mineral Deal with Rwanda as ‘Clear Double Standard’

The Central African nation has labeled the European Union's ongoing minerals agreement with Rwanda as demonstrating "clear hypocrisy" while implementing significantly wider restrictions in response to the war in Ukraine.

Government Strong Criticism

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the DRC's international affairs chief, urged the EU to impose significantly tougher restrictions against Rwanda, which has been alleged to exacerbate the violence in Congo's eastern region.

"It represents obvious double standards – I want to be helpful here – that leaves us questioning and inquisitive about grasping why the EU continues to hesitate so much to implement measures," she emphasized.

Conflict Resolution Context

The DRC and Rwanda agreed to a ceasefire deal in June, facilitated by the US and Qatar, intending to resolve the protracted conflict.

However, lethal incidents on civilians have endured and a deadline to reach a lasting resolution was passed without success in August.

International Findings

Last year, a international assessment team stated that up to 4,000 Rwandan troops were supporting the M23 militant organization and that the Rwandan military was in "de facto control of M23 operations."

Rwanda has continually refuted supporting M23 and claims its forces act in self-defence.

Presidential Appeal

The DRC president, Félix Tshisekedi, recently urged his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, to stop supporting armed groups in the DRC during a Brussels event including both leaders.

"This requires you to command the M23 troops backed by your country to end this escalation, which has already caused sufficient fatalities," the president declared.

International Restrictions

The EU has placed sanctions on 32 individuals and two entities – a armed faction and a Rwandan mineral treatment facility processing 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 Brussels administration has resisted demands to suspend a 2024 minerals deal with Kigali.

Mineral Issues

Wagner labeled the memorandum of understanding with Rwanda as "completely untrustworthy in a context where it has been verified that Rwanda has been diverting DRC minerals" extracted under harsh circumstances of compulsory work, including children.

The United States and numerous nations have expressed alarm about illicit commerce in precious metals in DRC's east, extracted via coerced employment, then illegally transported to Rwanda for shipment to finance militant factions.

Human Catastrophe

The unrest in DRC's eastern territories remains one of the world's gravest emergency situations, with more than 7.8 million people internally displaced in affected areas and 28 million confronting nutritional challenges, including 4 million at emergency levels, according to UN reports.

Global Involvement

As the DRC's principal negotiator, Wagner signed the accord with Rwanda at the US presidential residence in June, which also seeks to give the United States expanded opportunity to DRC minerals.

She maintained that the US remains engaged in the resolution efforts and denied suggestions that primary interest was the DRC's significant natural resources.

EU Cooperation

The Brussels chief, Ursula von der Leyen, inaugurated a conference 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 resource-rich areas of the DRC and Zambia to Angola's western shoreline.

Wagner recognized that the EU and DRC had a strong foundation in the Lobito project, but "much has been diminished by the conflict in eastern DRC."