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The DRC has labeled the European Union's persistent minerals deal with Rwanda as exhibiting "evident contradiction" while implementing significantly wider penalties in response to the Ukrainian crisis.

Foreign Minister's Sharp Rebuke

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the Congo's top diplomat, urged the EU to implement significantly tougher measures against Rwanda, which has been alleged to exacerbate the violence in DRC's eastern territories.

"It represents clear inconsistency – I aim to be helpful here – that makes us wondering and concerned about comprehending why the EU repeatedly finds it difficult so much to implement measures," she declared.

Conflict Resolution History

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

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

UN Report

Last year, a group of UN experts stated that up to 4,000 Rwandan troops were supporting the M23 rebel group and that the Rwandan military was in "effective direction of M23 operations."

Rwanda has repeatedly rejected supporting M23 and maintains its forces act in self-defence.

Diplomatic Request

The DRC president, Félix Tshisekedi, recently called upon his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, to stop supporting militants in the DRC during a international conference attended by both leaders.

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

EU Sanctions

The EU has enacted measures targeting 32 people and two organizations – a militant group and a Rwandan precious metals processor processing contraband materials of the metal – for their role in prolonging the conflict.

Despite these findings of human rights abuses by the Rwandan army in the DRC, the Brussels administration has rejected requests to terminate a 2024 resource partnership with Kigali.

Mineral Issues

Wagner characterized the agreement with Rwanda as "lacking all legitimacy in a situation where it has been confirmed that Rwanda has been illegally extracting African wealth" obtained under severe situations of compulsory work, including children.

The United States and numerous nations have raised concerns about illegal trade in precious metals in Congo's eastern region, mined via forced labour, then trafficked to Rwanda for export to benefit armed groups.

Regional Emergency

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 affected areas and 28 million confronting food insecurity, including 4 million at emergency levels, according to UN reports.

Diplomatic Efforts

As the DRC's top representative, Wagner signed the deal with Rwanda at the White House in June, which also seeks to give the United States enhanced entry to Congolese natural resources.

She maintained that the US remains participating in the peace process and denied suggestions that sole motivation was the DRC's vast mineral wealth.

International Collaboration

The Brussels chief, Ursula von der Leyen, commenced a conference by stating that the EU wanted "cooperation based on shared objectives and respect for sovereignty."

She featured the Lobito corridor – transportation infrastructure transport links – connecting the mining regions of the DRC and Zambia to Angola's ocean access.

Wagner recognized that the EU and DRC had a strong foundation in the Lobito project, but "a great deal has been diminished by the situation in the troubled region."