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The Central African nation has described the European Union's ongoing minerals partnership with Rwanda as showing "obvious double standards" while implementing far more extensive sanctions in response to the Ukrainian crisis.

Government Firm Condemnation

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the Congo's foreign minister, urged the EU to implement far more severe sanctions against Rwanda, which has been charged with intensifying the unrest in eastern DRC.

"It represents clear double standards – I strive to be helpful here – that makes us curious and interested about understanding why the EU again struggles so much to take action," she emphasized.

Conflict Resolution Context

The DRC and Rwanda ratified a ceasefire deal in June, brokered by the US and Qatar, aiming to end the long-standing dispute.

However, deadly attacks on ordinary citizens have persisted and a deadline to achieve a final settlement was not met in August.

International Findings

Last year, a United Nations panel reported that up to 4,000 Rwandan troops were fighting alongside the M23 rebel group and that the Rwandan military was in "effective direction of M23 operations."

Rwanda has repeatedly rejected supporting M23 and maintains its forces act in self-defence.

Diplomatic Request

The DRC president, Félix Tshisekedi, recently appealed to his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, to end assistance to rebel forces in the DRC during a European gathering featuring both leaders.

"This demands you to instruct the M23 troops supported by your country to stop this escalation, which has already resulted in enough fatalities," the president declared.

International Restrictions

The EU has placed sanctions on 32 persons and two organizations – a rebel organization and a Rwandan gold refiner dealing in contraband materials of the metal – for their role in fuelling the conflict.

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

Resource Concerns

Wagner characterized the agreement with Rwanda as "void of any credibility in a environment where it has been verified that Rwanda has been siphoning off Congolese resources" mined under severe situations of compulsory work, affecting children.

The United States and numerous nations have raised concerns about illicit commerce in gold and tantalum in eastern Congo, obtained via compulsory work, then smuggled to Rwanda for shipment to support militant factions.

Human Catastrophe

The unrest in eastern DRC remains one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with exceeding 7.8 million people internally displaced in eastern DRC and 28 million confronting nutritional challenges, including 4 million at critical stages, according to UN assessments.

Diplomatic Efforts

As the DRC's principal negotiator, Wagner ratified the deal with Rwanda at the White House in June, which also aims to give the United States enhanced entry to African wealth.

She stated that the US remains participating in the resolution efforts and rejected allegations that sole motivation was the DRC's extensive resource deposits.

European Partnership

The EU leader, Ursula von der Leyen, opened a gathering by stating that the EU wanted "partnerships based on mutual benefits and acknowledging autonomy."

She emphasized the Lobito corridor – rail, road and water 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 firm groundwork in the Lobito project, but "much has been overshadowed by the situation in the troubled region."