Congo Denounces EU's Rwanda Minerals Agreement as ‘Evident Contradiction’

The Central African nation has characterized the European Union's persistent minerals agreement with Rwanda as showing "clear contradiction" while imposing significantly wider penalties in response to the war in Ukraine.

Diplomatic Firm Condemnation

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the African nation's international affairs chief, urged the EU to enact much stronger sanctions against Rwanda, which has been accused of fueling the unrest in DRC's eastern territories.

"This demonstrates evident inconsistency – I want to be helpful here – that leaves us wondering and concerned about grasping why the EU repeatedly finds it difficult so much to implement measures," she declared.

Conflict Resolution Context

The DRC and Rwanda signed a ceasefire deal in June, brokered by the United States and Qatar, designed to resolve the protracted conflict.

However, lethal incidents on civilians have endured and a time limit to reach a comprehensive peace agreement was passed without success in August.

International Findings

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

Rwanda has repeatedly rejected backing M23 and maintains its forces act in self-protection.

Leadership Call

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

"This demands you to order the M23 troops backed by your country to stop this deterioration, which has already caused sufficient fatalities," the leader emphasized.

European Measures

The EU has placed sanctions on 32 people and two groups – a rebel organization and a Rwandan gold refiner processing illegal supplies of the metal – for their role in intensifying the conflict.

Despite these findings of international law breaches by the Rwandan army in the DRC, the European Commission has declined demands to suspend a 2024 mining agreement with Kigali.

Mineral Issues

Wagner labeled the partnership with Rwanda as "completely untrustworthy in a environment where it has been established that Rwanda has been illegally extracting African wealth" mined under harsh circumstances of compulsory work, affecting children.

The United States and many others have expressed alarm about unauthorized transactions in precious metals in Congo's eastern region, extracted via coerced employment, then smuggled to Rwanda for international trade to support rebel organizations.

Regional Emergency

The conflict in eastern DRC remains one of the world's worst human catastrophes, with over 7.8 million people forced from homes in affected areas and 28 million experiencing food insecurity, including 4 million at emergency levels, according to UN assessments.

International Engagement

As the DRC's chief diplomat, Wagner ratified the accord with Rwanda at the US presidential residence in June, which also seeks to give the United States enhanced entry to African wealth.

She maintained that the US remains involved in the peace process and denied claims that sole motivation was the DRC's significant natural resources.

EU Cooperation

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

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

Wagner acknowledged that the EU and DRC had a firm groundwork in the Lobito project, but "significant aspects has been overshadowed by the situation in eastern DRC."