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The Central African nation has described the European Union's persistent minerals deal with Rwanda as demonstrating "obvious hypocrisy" while enforcing significantly wider restrictions in response to the Ukrainian crisis.

Government Strong Criticism

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the Congo's top diplomat, urged the EU to impose significantly tougher measures against Rwanda, which has been charged with intensifying the unrest in DRC's eastern territories.

"This demonstrates obvious double standards – I want to be productive here – that has us questioning and inquisitive about comprehending why the EU repeatedly finds it difficult so much to implement measures," she stated.

Ceasefire Deal Context

The DRC and Rwanda agreed to a ceasefire deal in June, mediated by the America and Qatar, designed to resolve the decades-old conflict.

However, deadly attacks on ordinary citizens have persisted and a time limit to achieve a lasting resolution was passed without success in August.

UN Report

Last year, a group of UN experts reported that up to 4,000 Rwandan troops were fighting alongside the M23 rebel group and that the Rwandan military was in "actual command of M23 operations."

Rwanda has repeatedly rejected supporting M23 and asserts its forces act in national security.

Leadership Call

The DRC president, Félix Tshisekedi, recently appealed to his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, to cease backing armed groups in the DRC during a Brussels event including both leaders.

"This necessitates you to order the M23 troops supported by your country to stop this escalation, which has already led to numerous casualties," the president declared.

International Restrictions

The EU has imposed restrictions against 32 people and two entities – a armed faction and a Rwandan gold refiner processing illegal supplies of the metal – for their participation in prolonging the conflict.

Despite these findings of international law breaches by the Rwandan army in the DRC, the Brussels administration has resisted requests to suspend a 2024 mining agreement with Kigali.

Mineral Issues

Wagner labeled the agreement with Rwanda as "lacking all legitimacy in a context where it has been confirmed that Rwanda has been illegally extracting Congolese resources" extracted under severe situations of coerced employment, affecting children.

The United States and many others have voiced apprehension about unauthorized transactions in gold and tantalum in eastern Congo, obtained via forced labour, then smuggled to Rwanda for shipment to benefit rebel organizations.

Human Catastrophe

The violence in eastern DRC remains one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises, with exceeding 7.8 million people relocated within country in eastern DRC and 28 million confronting hunger issues, including 4 million at crisis conditions, according to UN data.

Global Involvement

As the DRC's principal negotiator, Wagner ratified the deal with Rwanda at the American administration in June, which also attempts to give the United States expanded opportunity to Congolese natural resources.

She stated that the US remains engaged in the resolution efforts and dismissed suggestions that primary interest was the DRC's significant natural resources.

European Partnership

The Brussels chief, Ursula von der Leyen, opened a conference by declaring that the EU wanted "collaboration based on shared objectives and acknowledging autonomy."

She emphasized the Lobito corridor – transportation infrastructure transport links – joining the resource-rich areas of the DRC and Zambia to Angola's ocean access.

Wagner acknowledged that the EU and DRC had a strong foundation in the Lobito project, but "a great deal has been diminished by the crisis in eastern DRC."