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The Democratic Republic of Congo has characterized the European Union's ongoing minerals deal with Rwanda as demonstrating "obvious double standards" while enforcing significantly wider restrictions in response to the Ukrainian crisis.

Government Strong Criticism

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the African nation's foreign minister, demanded the EU to impose much stronger restrictions against Rwanda, which has been alleged to exacerbate the violence in eastern DRC.

"This demonstrates clear double standards – I aim to be constructive here – that leaves us questioning and concerned about grasping why the EU again struggles so much to implement measures," she stated.

Ceasefire Deal Context

The DRC and Rwanda ratified a conflict resolution in June, mediated by the America and Qatar, designed to resolve the long-standing dispute.

However, deadly attacks on non-combatants have endured and a deadline to achieve a comprehensive peace agreement was passed without success in August.

Expert Assessment

Last year, a international assessment team reported that up to 4,000 Rwandan troops were fighting alongside the M23 rebel group and that the Rwandan military was in "de facto control of M23 operations."

Rwanda has continually refuted assisting M23 and asserts its forces act in self-defence.

Leadership Call

The DRC president, Félix Tshisekedi, recently urged his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, to stop supporting rebel forces in the DRC during a European gathering including both leaders.

"This necessitates you to order the M23 troops backed by your country to end this escalation, which has already caused sufficient deaths," the leader emphasized.

International Restrictions

The EU has imposed restrictions against 32 people and two groups – a rebel organization and a Rwandan precious metals processor handling contraband materials 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 declined demands to suspend a 2024 minerals deal with Kigali.

Mineral Issues

Wagner labeled the agreement with Rwanda as "completely untrustworthy in a situation where it has been confirmed that Rwanda has been siphoning off Congolese resources" extracted under severe situations of compulsory work, involving children.

The United States and many others have voiced apprehension about unauthorized transactions in gold and tantalum in eastern Congo, mined via compulsory work, then illegally transported to Rwanda for international trade to support armed groups.

Humanitarian Crisis

The unrest in eastern DRC remains one of the world's most severe emergency situations, with exceeding 7.8 million people forced from homes in eastern DRC and 28 million confronting food insecurity, including 4 million at crisis conditions, according to UN assessments.

International Engagement

As the DRC's chief diplomat, Wagner approved the agreement with Rwanda at the American administration in June, which also seeks to give the United States greater access to DRC minerals.

She maintained that the US remains engaged in the diplomatic negotiations and denied claims that sole motivation was the DRC's vast mineral wealth.

International Collaboration

The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, commenced a summit by stating that the EU wanted "cooperation based on shared objectives and honoring independence."

She featured the Lobito corridor – multi-modal transport links – joining the mineral heartlands of the DRC and Zambia to Angola's western shoreline.

Wagner acknowledged that the EU and DRC had a strong foundation in the Lobito project, but "much has been overshadowed by the conflict in Congo's east."