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The Central African nation has described the European Union's ongoing minerals deal with Rwanda as demonstrating "clear hypocrisy" while imposing much broader restrictions in response to the Ukraine conflict.

Diplomatic Firm Condemnation

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the African nation's foreign minister, called for the EU to enact far more severe restrictions against Rwanda, which has been charged with intensifying the unrest in eastern DRC.

"This shows evident inconsistency – I aim to be constructive here – that has us wondering and inquisitive about understanding why the EU continues to hesitate so much to enact sanctions," she stated.

Ceasefire Deal Background

The DRC and Rwanda agreed to a peace agreement in June, mediated by the America and Qatar, aiming to conclude the long-standing hostilities.

However, lethal incidents on ordinary citizens have continued and a time limit to reach a final settlement was missed in August.

International Findings

Last year, a group of UN experts reported that up to 4,000 Rwandan troops were operating with the M23 militant organization and that the Rwandan military was in "actual command of M23 operations."

Rwanda has consistently denied supporting M23 and asserts its forces act in self-defence.

Leadership Call

The DRC president, Félix Tshisekedi, recently urged his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, to cease backing armed groups in the DRC during a European gathering attended by both leaders.

"This necessitates you to command the M23 troops assisted by your country to halt this deterioration, which has already resulted in enough casualties," the leader emphasized.

EU Sanctions

The EU has enacted measures targeting 32 persons and two groups – a rebel organization and a Rwandan mineral treatment facility processing illegal supplies of the metal – for their involvement in fuelling the conflict.

Despite these conclusions of human rights abuses by the Rwandan army in the DRC, the EU executive has resisted requests to cancel a 2024 resource partnership with Kigali.

Resource Concerns

Wagner characterized the partnership with Rwanda as "lacking all legitimacy in a situation where it has been established that Rwanda has been siphoning off DRC minerals" mined under harsh circumstances of compulsory work, including children.

The United States and numerous nations have raised concerns about illicit commerce in mineral resources in Congo's eastern region, extracted via compulsory work, then smuggled to Rwanda for shipment to finance armed groups.

Regional Emergency

The violence in Congo's east remains one of the world's worst emergency situations, with exceeding 7.8 million people internally displaced in eastern DRC and 28 million confronting nutritional challenges, including 4 million at crisis conditions, according to UN reports.

Diplomatic Efforts

As the DRC's chief diplomat, Wagner approved the deal with Rwanda at the White House in June, which also attempts to give the United States expanded opportunity to DRC minerals.

She stated that the US remains engaged in the diplomatic negotiations and rejected claims that primary interest was the DRC's significant natural resources.

European Partnership

The EU leader, Ursula von der Leyen, commenced a summit by stating that the EU wanted "collaboration based on common interests and honoring independence."

She emphasized the Lobito corridor – multi-modal transport links – connecting the resource-rich areas 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 "much has been diminished by the crisis in Congo's east."