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The DRC has labeled the European Union's continued minerals agreement with Rwanda as exhibiting "obvious double standards" while implementing much broader penalties in response to the war in Ukraine.

Government Firm Condemnation

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the Congo's top diplomat, urged the EU to enact significantly tougher sanctions against Rwanda, which has been accused of fueling the unrest in eastern DRC.

"This demonstrates obvious inconsistency – I aim to be constructive here – that makes us wondering and concerned about grasping why the EU repeatedly finds it difficult so much to take action," she declared.

Peace Agreement Context

The DRC and Rwanda signed a ceasefire deal in June, mediated by the United States and Qatar, designed to resolve the decades-old dispute.

However, deadly attacks on civilians have persisted and a target date to establish a final settlement was missed in August.

UN Report

Last year, a group of UN experts stated 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 consistently denied assisting M23 and asserts its forces act in self-protection.

Diplomatic Request

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

"This demands you to instruct the M23 troops supported by your country to stop this deterioration, which has already resulted in sufficient fatalities," Tshisekedi stated.

International Restrictions

The EU has enacted measures targeting 32 individuals and two entities – a armed faction and a Rwandan precious metals processor processing unauthorized sources of the metal – for their participation in fuelling the conflict.

Despite these determinations of human rights abuses by the Rwandan army in the DRC, the European Commission has resisted demands to suspend a 2024 minerals deal with Kigali.

Mineral Issues

Wagner characterized the partnership with Rwanda as "void of any credibility in a environment where it has been confirmed that Rwanda has been siphoning off Congolese resources" mined under brutal conditions of coerced employment, involving children.

The United States and numerous nations have expressed alarm about illegal trade in gold and tantalum in eastern Congo, obtained via compulsory work, then smuggled to Rwanda for export to support rebel organizations.

Regional Emergency

The violence in DRC's eastern territories remains one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises, with exceeding 7.8 million people relocated within country in eastern DRC 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 approved the agreement with Rwanda at the White House in June, which also aims to give the United States enhanced entry to Congolese natural resources.

She asserted that the US remains engaged in the resolution efforts and denied claims that primary interest was the DRC's extensive resource deposits.

International Collaboration

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

She emphasized the Lobito corridor – multi-modal transport links – joining 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 "significant aspects has been overshadowed by the conflict in the troubled region."