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The DRC has labeled the European Union's ongoing minerals partnership with Rwanda as showing "evident contradiction" while enforcing much broader penalties in response to the war in Ukraine.

Government Firm Condemnation

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the DRC's foreign minister, urged the EU to enact much stronger measures against Rwanda, which has been charged with intensifying the unrest in Congo's eastern region.

"This demonstrates evident double standards – I aim to be helpful here – that leaves us curious and concerned about grasping why the EU continues to hesitate so much to enact sanctions," she stated.

Ceasefire Deal Background

The DRC and Rwanda ratified a ceasefire deal in June, mediated by the America and Qatar, aiming to end the protracted conflict.

However, lethal incidents on civilians have endured and a target date to establish a final settlement was not met in August.

UN Report

Last year, a group of UN experts stated that up to 4,000 Rwandan troops were supporting the M23 militant organization and that the Rwandan military was in "de facto control of M23 operations."

Rwanda has repeatedly rejected assisting M23 and asserts its forces act in self-defence.

Leadership Call

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

"This demands you to order the M23 troops supported by your country to halt this intensification, which has already caused enough casualties," Tshisekedi stated.

European Measures

The EU has enacted measures targeting 32 people and two groups – a militant group and a Rwandan mineral treatment facility dealing in contraband materials 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 Brussels administration has rejected demands to terminate a 2024 resource partnership with Kigali.

Mineral Issues

Wagner characterized the memorandum of understanding with Rwanda as "lacking all legitimacy in a environment where it has been confirmed that Rwanda has been illegally extracting DRC minerals" obtained under brutal conditions of compulsory work, including children.

The United States and many others have expressed alarm about unauthorized transactions in gold and tantalum in DRC's east, extracted via forced labour, then trafficked to Rwanda for international trade to finance rebel organizations.

Regional Emergency

The conflict in eastern DRC remains one of the world's most severe human catastrophes, with more than 7.8 million people relocated within country in affected areas and 28 million facing nutritional challenges, including 4 million at emergency levels, according to UN reports.

International Engagement

As the DRC's chief diplomat, Wagner ratified the agreement with Rwanda at the White House in June, which also attempts to give the United States enhanced entry to Congolese natural resources.

She maintained that the US remains involved in the diplomatic negotiations and rejected claims that sole motivation was the DRC's extensive resource deposits.

European Partnership

The EU leader, Ursula von der Leyen, opened a conference by stating that the EU wanted "collaboration based on common interests and acknowledging autonomy."

She featured the Lobito corridor – transportation infrastructure transport links – linking the mining regions of the DRC and Zambia to Angola's ocean access.

Wagner acknowledged that the EU and DRC had a solid basis in the Lobito project, but "a great deal has been diminished by the crisis in Congo's east."