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The DRC has described the European Union's continued minerals deal with Rwanda as showing "obvious hypocrisy" while enforcing far more extensive restrictions in response to the Ukraine conflict.

Government Sharp Rebuke

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the DRC's foreign minister, demanded the EU to impose significantly tougher sanctions against Rwanda, which has been accused of fueling the violence in Congo's eastern region.

"This demonstrates clear hypocrisy – I want to be productive here – that leaves us curious and concerned about grasping why the EU continues to hesitate so much to implement measures," she stated.

Conflict Resolution Background

The DRC and Rwanda signed a ceasefire deal in June, brokered by the United States and Qatar, intending to end the decades-old dispute.

However, lethal incidents on ordinary citizens have endured and a target date to reach a final settlement was missed in August.

International Findings

Last year, a United Nations panel reported that up to 4,000 Rwandan troops were operating with the M23 militant organization and that the Rwandan military was in "effective direction of M23 operations."

Rwanda has continually refuted 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 cease backing rebel forces in the DRC during a Brussels event featuring both leaders.

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

European Measures

The EU has placed sanctions on 32 people and two organizations – a rebel organization and a Rwandan precious metals processor dealing in illegal supplies of the metal – for their role in fuelling the conflict.

Despite these findings of international law breaches by the Rwandan army in the DRC, the EU executive has declined requests to terminate a 2024 mining agreement with Kigali.

Economic Implications

Wagner described the agreement with Rwanda as "lacking all legitimacy in a situation where it has been confirmed that Rwanda has been siphoning off Congolese resources" extracted under harsh circumstances of forced labour, involving children.

The United States and various countries have raised concerns about unauthorized transactions in gold and tantalum in Congo's eastern region, obtained via coerced employment, then illegally transported to Rwanda for shipment to support rebel organizations.

Humanitarian Crisis

The violence in DRC's eastern territories remains one of the world's most severe emergency situations, with more than 7.8 million people forced from homes in eastern DRC and 28 million facing hunger issues, including 4 million at critical stages, according to UN assessments.

Global Involvement

As the DRC's top representative, Wagner approved the accord with Rwanda at the American administration in June, which also aims to give the United States greater access to African wealth.

She stated that the US remains participating in the diplomatic negotiations and dismissed suggestions that main concern was the DRC's significant natural resources.

EU Cooperation

The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, commenced a conference by stating that the EU wanted "collaboration based on mutual benefits and acknowledging autonomy."

She emphasized the Lobito corridor – transportation infrastructure transport links – joining the resource-rich areas of the DRC and Zambia to Angola's Atlantic coast.

Wagner admitted that the EU and DRC had a firm groundwork in the Lobito project, but "much has been eclipsed by the conflict in eastern DRC."