🔗 Share this article Democratic Republic of Congo Criticizes EU's Rwanda Mining Partnership as ‘Clear Double Standard’ The Democratic Republic of Congo has described the European Union's persistent minerals deal with Rwanda as exhibiting "clear double standards" while imposing far more extensive penalties in response to the Ukraine conflict. Foreign Minister's Firm Condemnation Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the Congo's foreign minister, urged the EU to impose far more severe restrictions against Rwanda, which has been alleged to exacerbate the violence in DRC's eastern territories. "This shows evident hypocrisy – I strive to be productive here – that has us questioning and concerned about understanding why the EU repeatedly finds it difficult so much to enact sanctions," she stated. Peace Agreement Background The DRC and Rwanda signed a ceasefire deal in June, facilitated by the United States and Qatar, intending to end the protracted dispute. However, lethal incidents on non-combatants have endured and a time limit to achieve a final settlement was not met in August. Expert Assessment Last year, a group of UN experts reported that up to 4,000 Rwandan troops were fighting alongside the M23 militant organization and that the Rwandan military was in "de facto control of M23 operations." Rwanda has consistently denied backing M23 and claims its forces act in self-defence. 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 European gathering including both leaders. "This requires you to command the M23 troops supported by your country to stop this escalation, which has already caused enough casualties," Tshisekedi stated. International Restrictions The EU has enacted measures targeting 32 individuals and two groups – a armed faction and a Rwandan gold refiner handling unauthorized sources of the metal – for their involvement in fuelling the conflict. Despite these findings of rights violations by the Rwandan army in the DRC, the Brussels administration has declined calls to cancel a 2024 minerals deal with Kigali. Mineral Issues Wagner labeled the partnership with Rwanda as "lacking all legitimacy in a situation where it has been verified that Rwanda has been siphoning off African wealth" extracted under harsh circumstances of forced labour, affecting children. The United States and various countries have voiced apprehension about illegal trade in gold and tantalum in Congo's eastern region, obtained via coerced employment, then trafficked to Rwanda for shipment to support rebel organizations. Human Catastrophe The unrest in DRC's eastern territories remains one of the world's gravest humanitarian crises, with exceeding 7.8 million people forced from homes in eastern DRC and 28 million confronting hunger issues, including 4 million at critical stages, according to UN data. Diplomatic Efforts As the DRC's principal negotiator, Wagner approved the deal with Rwanda at the US presidential residence in June, which also attempts to give the United States expanded opportunity to African wealth. She maintained that the US remains engaged in the peace process and dismissed allegations that sole motivation was the DRC's extensive resource deposits. EU Cooperation The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, commenced a summit by stating that the EU wanted "cooperation based on mutual benefits and honoring independence." She highlighted the Lobito corridor – rail, road and water 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 solid basis in the Lobito project, but "a great deal has been diminished by the conflict in Congo's east."