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The Democratic Republic of Congo has described the European Union's ongoing minerals agreement with Rwanda as showing "evident hypocrisy" while enforcing significantly wider sanctions in response to the Ukrainian crisis.

Diplomatic Firm Condemnation

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

"It represents evident inconsistency – I aim to be helpful here – that leaves us wondering and concerned about comprehending why the EU repeatedly finds it difficult so much to implement measures," she stated.

Ceasefire Deal History

The DRC and Rwanda agreed to a ceasefire deal in June, facilitated by the America and Qatar, aiming to end the long-standing hostilities.

However, lethal incidents on ordinary citizens have continued and a deadline to reach a lasting resolution was missed in August.

Expert Assessment

Last year, a international assessment team reported that up to 4,000 Rwandan troops were operating with the M23 rebel group and that the Rwandan military was in "actual command 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 appealed to his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, to cease backing militants in the DRC during a international conference including both leaders.

"This requires you to order the M23 troops supported by your country to stop this escalation, which has already caused numerous fatalities," the leader emphasized.

EU Sanctions

The EU has placed sanctions on 32 people and two entities – a rebel organization and a Rwandan gold refiner processing illegal supplies of the metal – for their participation in prolonging the conflict.

Despite these findings of human rights abuses by the Rwandan army in the DRC, the European Commission has declined requests to suspend a 2024 mining agreement with Kigali.

Resource Concerns

Wagner labeled the agreement with Rwanda as "void of any credibility in a situation where it has been confirmed that Rwanda has been diverting Congolese resources" mined under harsh circumstances of forced labour, involving children.

The United States and many others have raised concerns about illicit commerce in mineral resources in eastern Congo, extracted via compulsory work, then smuggled to Rwanda for export to finance armed groups.

Human Catastrophe

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

Diplomatic Efforts

As the DRC's top representative, Wagner signed the deal with Rwanda at the American administration in June, which also attempts to give the United States expanded opportunity to DRC minerals.

She stated that the US remains participating in the resolution efforts and rejected claims that primary interest was the DRC's significant natural resources.

International Collaboration

The EU leader, Ursula von der Leyen, inaugurated a gathering by stating that the EU wanted "cooperation based on shared objectives and acknowledging autonomy."

She featured the Lobito corridor – transportation infrastructure transport links – connecting the resource-rich areas of the DRC and Zambia to Angola's Atlantic coast.

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."