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The Central African nation has described the European Union's ongoing minerals deal with Rwanda as showing "evident double standards" while imposing significantly wider penalties in response to the war in Ukraine.

Foreign Minister's Sharp Rebuke

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the DRC's international affairs chief, urged the EU to implement much stronger measures against Rwanda, which has been alleged to exacerbate the conflict in DRC's eastern territories.

"This shows evident hypocrisy – I aim to be helpful here – that makes us questioning and inquisitive about understanding why the EU repeatedly finds it difficult so much to take action," she emphasized.

Conflict Resolution History

The DRC and Rwanda signed a conflict resolution in June, mediated by the United States and Qatar, designed to end the decades-old hostilities.

However, deadly attacks on civilians have continued and a time limit to reach a lasting resolution was missed in August.

International Findings

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 backing M23 and asserts its forces act in national security.

Leadership Call

The DRC president, Félix Tshisekedi, recently urged his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, to end assistance to militants in the DRC during a European gathering including both leaders.

"This demands you to command the M23 troops backed by your country to halt this escalation, which has already resulted in enough deaths," the leader emphasized.

EU Sanctions

The EU has imposed restrictions against 32 people and two groups – a armed faction and a Rwandan gold refiner dealing in unauthorized sources of the metal – for their role in prolonging the conflict.

Despite these determinations of rights violations by the Rwandan army in the DRC, the Brussels administration has resisted demands to terminate a 2024 mining agreement with Kigali.

Mineral Issues

Wagner characterized the partnership with Rwanda as "void of any credibility in a context where it has been established that Rwanda has been illegally extracting DRC minerals" obtained under harsh circumstances of coerced employment, including children.

The United States and various countries have raised concerns about illicit commerce in precious metals in DRC's east, mined via compulsory work, then smuggled to Rwanda for export to finance rebel organizations.

Regional Emergency

The violence in eastern DRC remains one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises, with over 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.

Global Involvement

As the DRC's top representative, Wagner approved the agreement with Rwanda at the American administration in June, which also seeks to give the United States enhanced entry to Congolese natural resources.

She stated that the US remains involved in the diplomatic negotiations and dismissed suggestions that primary interest was the DRC's vast mineral wealth.

European Partnership

The EU leader, Ursula von der Leyen, opened a summit by emphasizing that the EU wanted "collaboration based on shared objectives and respect for sovereignty."

She highlighted the Lobito corridor – transportation infrastructure transport links – joining the mining regions of the DRC and Zambia to Angola's Atlantic coast.

Wagner admitted that the EU and DRC had a solid basis in the Lobito project, but "much has been diminished by the crisis in the troubled region."