🔗 Share this article DRC Condemns EU's Rwanda Mining Partnership as ‘Evident Contradiction’ The Central African nation has characterized the European Union's ongoing minerals agreement with Rwanda as showing "evident contradiction" while imposing much broader sanctions in response to the Ukrainian crisis. Government Strong Criticism Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the Congo's foreign minister, urged the EU to enact significantly tougher restrictions against Rwanda, which has been alleged to exacerbate the unrest in DRC's eastern territories. "This demonstrates clear hypocrisy – I aim to be helpful here – that has us wondering and interested about understanding why the EU continues to hesitate so much to implement measures," she stated. Ceasefire Deal Background The DRC and Rwanda ratified a ceasefire deal in June, brokered by the United States and Qatar, aiming to end the protracted dispute. However, deadly attacks on non-combatants have persisted and a target date to establish a comprehensive peace agreement was missed in August. UN Report Last year, a group of UN experts reported that up to 4,000 Rwandan troops were supporting the M23 militant organization and that the Rwandan military was in "effective direction of M23 operations." Rwanda has repeatedly rejected supporting M23 and maintains its forces act in national security. Leadership Call The DRC president, Félix Tshisekedi, recently called upon his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, to end assistance to militants in the DRC during a Brussels event featuring both leaders. "This necessitates you to command the M23 troops supported by your country to stop this escalation, which has already resulted in enough deaths," the leader emphasized. International Restrictions The EU has enacted measures targeting 32 people and two organizations – a rebel organization and a Rwandan precious metals processor dealing in contraband materials of the metal – for their participation in prolonging the conflict. Despite these findings of rights violations by the Rwandan army in the DRC, the Brussels administration has declined requests to cancel a 2024 mining agreement with Kigali. Resource Concerns Wagner described the agreement with Rwanda as "completely untrustworthy in a environment where it has been confirmed that Rwanda has been siphoning off African wealth" obtained under brutal conditions of compulsory work, involving children. The United States and various countries have voiced apprehension about unauthorized transactions in gold and tantalum in eastern Congo, mined via compulsory work, then smuggled to Rwanda for international trade to support armed groups. Human Catastrophe The unrest in eastern DRC remains one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises, with exceeding 7.8 million people forced from homes in eastern DRC and 28 million confronting nutritional challenges, including 4 million at emergency levels, according to UN data. International Engagement As the DRC's top representative, Wagner approved the deal with Rwanda at the White House in June, which also aims to give the United States enhanced entry to DRC minerals. She maintained that the US remains participating in the resolution efforts and dismissed suggestions that primary interest was the DRC's vast mineral wealth. European Partnership The Brussels chief, Ursula von der Leyen, inaugurated a summit by emphasizing that the EU wanted "partnerships based on shared objectives and acknowledging autonomy." She highlighted the Lobito corridor – rail, road and water transport links – joining the mineral heartlands of the DRC and Zambia to Angola's western shoreline. Wagner admitted that the EU and DRC had a solid basis in the Lobito project, but "significant aspects has been eclipsed by the crisis in Congo's east."