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The Democratic Republic of Congo has described the European Union's continued minerals deal with Rwanda as showing "evident hypocrisy" while enforcing much broader restrictions in response to the Ukraine conflict.

Government Strong Criticism

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the African nation's international affairs chief, demanded the EU to enact significantly tougher sanctions against Rwanda, which has been accused of fueling the violence in DRC's eastern territories.

"This demonstrates evident double standards – I aim to be productive here – that leaves us questioning and inquisitive about comprehending why the EU repeatedly finds it difficult so much to take action," she emphasized.

Conflict Resolution Context

The DRC and Rwanda agreed to a ceasefire deal in June, mediated by the America and Qatar, intending to resolve the protracted hostilities.

However, lethal incidents on non-combatants have persisted and a target date to reach a comprehensive peace agreement was not met in August.

Expert Assessment

Last year, a United Nations panel found that up to 4,000 Rwandan troops were operating with the M23 militant organization and that the Rwandan military was in "actual command of M23 operations."

Rwanda has consistently denied backing M23 and claims its forces act in national security.

Diplomatic Request

The DRC president, Félix Tshisekedi, recently appealed to his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, to end assistance to militants in the DRC during a international conference attended by both leaders.

"This necessitates you to order the M23 troops assisted by your country to end this deterioration, which has already caused sufficient deaths," the leader emphasized.

EU Sanctions

The EU has placed sanctions on 32 people and two groups – a militant group and a Rwandan mineral treatment facility processing illegal supplies of the metal – for their participation in fuelling the conflict.

Despite these conclusions of rights violations by the Rwandan army in the DRC, the EU executive has rejected calls to cancel a 2024 resource partnership with Kigali.

Resource Concerns

Wagner labeled the partnership with Rwanda as "void of any credibility in a context where it has been verified that Rwanda has been diverting DRC minerals" obtained under brutal conditions of coerced employment, involving children.

The United States and various countries have raised concerns about unauthorized transactions in mineral resources in DRC's east, extracted via coerced employment, then illegally transported to Rwanda for export to support militant factions.

Human Catastrophe

The unrest in eastern DRC remains one of the world's most severe human catastrophes, with over 7.8 million people forced from homes in affected areas and 28 million experiencing nutritional challenges, including 4 million at emergency levels, according to UN data.

Diplomatic Efforts

As the DRC's principal negotiator, Wagner ratified the deal with Rwanda at the White House in June, which also aims to give the United States greater access to DRC minerals.

She asserted that the US remains participating in the diplomatic negotiations and denied claims that main concern was the DRC's significant natural resources.

EU Cooperation

The EU leader, Ursula von der Leyen, opened a summit by stating that the EU wanted "partnerships based on common interests and honoring independence."

She emphasized the Lobito corridor – multi-modal transport links – joining the mineral heartlands of the DRC and Zambia to Angola's western shoreline.

Wagner recognized that the EU and DRC had a firm groundwork in the Lobito project, but "a great deal has been diminished by the situation in Congo's east."