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The Democratic Republic of Congo has described the European Union's ongoing minerals agreement with Rwanda as exhibiting "obvious double standards" while enforcing far more extensive restrictions in response to the Ukrainian crisis.

Government Strong Criticism

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the African nation's international affairs chief, called for the EU to enact far more severe restrictions against Rwanda, which has been charged with intensifying the violence in DRC's eastern territories.

"This demonstrates evident inconsistency – I want to be helpful here – that leaves us questioning and inquisitive about grasping why the EU continues to hesitate so much to take action," she declared.

Conflict Resolution Context

The DRC and Rwanda agreed to a ceasefire deal in June, brokered by the America and Qatar, intending to conclude the protracted hostilities.

However, lethal incidents on ordinary citizens have endured and a target date to establish a lasting resolution was passed without success in August.

Expert Assessment

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

Rwanda has consistently denied assisting M23 and asserts its forces act in national security.

Leadership Call

The DRC president, Félix Tshisekedi, recently called upon his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, to stop supporting rebel forces in the DRC during a Brussels event featuring both leaders.

"This demands you to order the M23 troops backed by your country to stop this escalation, which has already resulted in enough fatalities," the leader emphasized.

International Restrictions

The EU has enacted measures targeting 32 people and two entities – a armed faction and a Rwandan mineral treatment facility dealing in unauthorized sources of the metal – for their role in intensifying the conflict.

Despite these findings of human rights abuses by the Rwandan army in the DRC, the European Commission has resisted demands to cancel a 2024 minerals deal with Kigali.

Resource Concerns

Wagner labeled the memorandum of understanding with Rwanda as "void of any credibility in a situation where it has been verified that Rwanda has been illegally extracting African wealth" obtained under severe situations of coerced employment, affecting children.

The United States and numerous nations have expressed alarm about unauthorized transactions in gold and tantalum in DRC's east, extracted via compulsory work, then smuggled to Rwanda for shipment to support rebel organizations.

Human Catastrophe

The conflict in DRC's eastern territories remains one of the world's worst human catastrophes, with more than 7.8 million people relocated within country in affected areas and 28 million experiencing food insecurity, including 4 million at crisis conditions, according to UN reports.

Global Involvement

As the DRC's top representative, Wagner signed the accord with Rwanda at the White House in June, which also aims to give the United States greater access to DRC minerals.

She stated that the US remains participating in the resolution efforts and denied suggestions that main concern was the DRC's extensive resource deposits.

International Collaboration

The EU leader, Ursula von der Leyen, inaugurated a gathering by declaring that the EU wanted "collaboration based on mutual benefits and honoring independence."

She featured the Lobito corridor – rail, road and water transport links – linking the mineral heartlands of the DRC and Zambia to Angola's ocean access.

Wagner admitted that the EU and DRC had a strong foundation in the Lobito project, but "significant aspects has been diminished by the situation in Congo's east."