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The DRC has characterized the European Union's persistent minerals agreement with Rwanda as demonstrating "clear contradiction" while imposing far more extensive sanctions in response to the war in Ukraine.

Diplomatic Sharp Rebuke

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the DRC's international affairs chief, demanded the EU to enact far more severe measures against Rwanda, which has been alleged to exacerbate the violence in DRC's eastern territories.

"This demonstrates obvious inconsistency – I aim to be constructive here – that leaves us questioning and inquisitive about grasping why the EU again struggles so much to enact sanctions," she stated.

Peace Agreement Background

The DRC and Rwanda agreed to a peace agreement in June, brokered by the America and Qatar, intending to conclude the long-standing dispute.

However, deadly attacks on non-combatants have persisted and a target date to establish a lasting resolution was not met in August.

Expert Assessment

Last year, a United Nations panel found that up to 4,000 Rwandan troops were operating with the M23 insurgent faction and that the Rwandan military was in "de facto control of M23 operations."

Rwanda has consistently denied supporting M23 and claims its forces act in self-protection.

Diplomatic Request

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

"This requires you to command the M23 troops backed by your country to halt this intensification, which has already led to enough deaths," Tshisekedi stated.

International Restrictions

The EU has enacted measures targeting 32 people and two groups – a militant group and a Rwandan mineral treatment facility processing contraband materials of the metal – for their involvement in intensifying the conflict.

Despite these determinations of international law breaches by the Rwandan army in the DRC, the EU executive has resisted calls to suspend a 2024 minerals deal with Kigali.

Mineral Issues

Wagner described the memorandum of understanding with Rwanda as "void of any credibility in a context where it has been verified that Rwanda has been diverting African wealth" mined under brutal conditions of coerced employment, affecting children.

The United States and numerous nations have voiced apprehension about illegal trade in gold and tantalum in Congo's eastern region, extracted via coerced employment, then illegally transported to Rwanda for export to benefit armed groups.

Humanitarian Crisis

The conflict in DRC's eastern territories remains one of the world's gravest human catastrophes, with more than 7.8 million people internally displaced in affected areas and 28 million confronting food insecurity, including 4 million at crisis conditions, according to UN assessments.

Diplomatic Efforts

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

She maintained that the US remains participating in the resolution efforts and rejected suggestions that sole motivation was the DRC's vast mineral wealth.

International Collaboration

The Brussels chief, Ursula von der Leyen, opened a gathering by emphasizing that the EU wanted "partnerships based on common interests and acknowledging autonomy."

She featured the Lobito corridor – transportation infrastructure transport links – connecting the mining regions of the DRC and Zambia to Angola's western shoreline.

Wagner recognized that the EU and DRC had a strong foundation in the Lobito project, but "significant aspects has been diminished by the crisis in eastern DRC."