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The Central African nation has described the European Union's continued minerals partnership with Rwanda as showing "obvious contradiction" while enforcing far more extensive restrictions in response to the war in Ukraine.

Diplomatic Sharp Rebuke

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the Congo's international affairs chief, called for the EU to impose far more severe restrictions against Rwanda, which has been charged with intensifying the conflict in eastern DRC.

"This demonstrates evident double standards – I strive to be helpful here – that makes us curious and concerned about comprehending why the EU again struggles so much to take action," she declared.

Peace Agreement Context

The DRC and Rwanda signed a peace agreement in June, brokered by the America and Qatar, intending to conclude the decades-old dispute.

However, lethal incidents on ordinary citizens have endured and a target date to establish a comprehensive peace agreement was missed in August.

International Findings

Last year, a international assessment team found that up to 4,000 Rwandan troops were operating with the M23 insurgent faction and that the Rwandan military was in "effective direction of M23 operations."

Rwanda has repeatedly rejected supporting M23 and asserts its forces act in national security.

Presidential Appeal

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

"This demands you to command the M23 troops backed by your country to halt this deterioration, which has already led to numerous fatalities," the president declared.

International Restrictions

The EU has imposed restrictions against 32 persons and two organizations – a rebel organization and a Rwandan gold refiner dealing in unauthorized sources of the metal – for their participation in intensifying the conflict.

Despite these determinations of international law breaches by the Rwandan army in the DRC, the EU executive has rejected demands to terminate a 2024 minerals deal with Kigali.

Mineral Issues

Wagner described the agreement with Rwanda as "void of any credibility in a environment where it has been confirmed that Rwanda has been siphoning off Congolese resources" extracted under brutal conditions of coerced employment, including children.

The United States and many others have raised concerns about illegal trade in precious metals in DRC's east, extracted via compulsory work, then smuggled to Rwanda for shipment to support rebel organizations.

Humanitarian Crisis

The conflict in eastern DRC remains one of the world's gravest humanitarian crises, with more than 7.8 million people forced from homes in the region 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 signed the accord 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 dismissed suggestions that sole motivation was the DRC's extensive resource deposits.

EU Cooperation

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

She highlighted the Lobito corridor – rail, road and water transport links – linking the mining regions of the DRC and Zambia to Angola's Atlantic coast.

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