The Democratic Republic of the Congo has accused the European Union of maintaining an 'obvious double standard' by keeping a minerals deal with Rwanda while imposing far wider sanctions on Russia over its war in Ukraine. Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the DRC's foreign minister, urged Brussels to levy stronger sanctions against Rwanda, which she said had fuelled the conflict in eastern DRC.
Speaking ahead of a Brussels event attended by both DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Wagner drew parallels between Rwanda's violation of DRC territory and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. She described the EU's response to the conflict in eastern DRC as 'very timid' and said the bloc's minerals deal with Rwanda was 'void of any credibility'.
The EU has placed sanctions on 32 people and two entities for their role in fuelling the conflict, including a Rwandan gold refiner. It found that the Rwandan Defence Force had violated DRC territory and was responsible for serious human rights abuses. Despite this, the European Commission has brushed off calls to suspend a 2024 minerals deal with Kigali aimed at boosting supplies of raw materials for Europe's electric car batteries and microchips.
Wagner said it was up to the EU whether to suspend or annul the agreement, but added that 'silence is probably the least constructive response'. The conflict in eastern DRC has displaced more than 7.8 million people and left 28 million facing food insecurity, according to the UN.
At the Brussels event, President Tshisekedi appealed to Kagame to stop supporting M23 rebels in the DRC. Rwanda's foreign minister, Olivier Nduhungirehe, responded by saying Tshisekedi was 'completely mistaken' about the roots of the conflict. Rwanda has long denied backing the M23, despite UN experts reporting up to 4,000 Rwandan troops fighting alongside the group.
