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The Central African nation has characterized the European Union's ongoing minerals agreement with Rwanda as showing "evident contradiction" while implementing far more extensive penalties in response to the war in Ukraine.

Foreign Minister's Strong Criticism

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the Congo's international affairs chief, urged the EU to enact far more severe measures against Rwanda, which has been accused of fueling the unrest in eastern DRC.

"This shows obvious inconsistency – I want to be productive here – that leaves us curious and concerned about comprehending why the EU continues to hesitate so much to take action," she stated.

Conflict Resolution Context

The DRC and Rwanda ratified a peace agreement in June, mediated by the United States and Qatar, aiming to resolve the decades-old dispute.

However, lethal incidents on ordinary citizens have continued and a deadline to reach a lasting resolution was not met in August.

Expert Assessment

Last year, a United Nations panel 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 consistently denied backing M23 and asserts its forces act in self-defence.

Presidential Appeal

The DRC president, Félix Tshisekedi, recently appealed to his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, to cease backing rebel forces in the DRC during a Brussels event featuring both leaders.

"This demands you to instruct the M23 troops backed by your country to halt this intensification, which has already resulted in numerous casualties," the president declared.

International Restrictions

The EU has enacted measures targeting 32 people and two organizations – a rebel organization and a Rwandan precious metals processor handling unauthorized sources of the metal – for their involvement in fuelling the conflict.

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

Resource Concerns

Wagner characterized the agreement with Rwanda as "completely untrustworthy in a environment where it has been confirmed that Rwanda has been illegally extracting African wealth" mined under severe situations of compulsory work, involving children.

The United States and numerous nations have voiced apprehension about unauthorized transactions in gold and tantalum in eastern Congo, obtained via compulsory work, then smuggled to Rwanda for international trade to support militant factions.

Regional Emergency

The unrest in Congo's east remains one of the world's worst emergency situations, with exceeding 7.8 million people internally displaced in eastern DRC and 28 million experiencing nutritional challenges, including 4 million at critical stages, according to UN assessments.

Global Involvement

As the DRC's chief diplomat, Wagner signed the agreement with Rwanda at the US presidential residence in June, which also seeks to give the United States greater access to DRC minerals.

She stated that the US remains engaged in the peace process and dismissed claims that main concern was the DRC's vast mineral wealth.

European Partnership

The EU leader, Ursula von der Leyen, inaugurated a gathering by emphasizing that the EU wanted "cooperation based on mutual benefits and respect for sovereignty."

She emphasized the Lobito corridor – transportation infrastructure transport links – linking the mining regions of the DRC and Zambia to Angola's western shoreline.

Wagner recognized that the EU and DRC had a solid basis in the Lobito project, but "much has been diminished by the situation in Congo's east."