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The Democratic Republic of Congo has labeled the European Union's persistent minerals deal with Rwanda as demonstrating "obvious contradiction" while implementing significantly wider restrictions in response to the Ukraine conflict.

Diplomatic Sharp Rebuke

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the Congo's international affairs chief, called for the EU to implement far more severe restrictions against Rwanda, which has been accused of fueling the unrest in DRC's eastern territories.

"This demonstrates clear double standards – I want to be productive here – that has us curious and inquisitive about grasping why the EU continues to hesitate so much to take action," she declared.

Ceasefire Deal History

The DRC and Rwanda signed a ceasefire deal in June, facilitated by the United States and Qatar, designed to conclude the protracted dispute.

However, deadly attacks on ordinary citizens have continued and a deadline to establish a comprehensive peace agreement 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 militant organization and that the Rwandan military was in "effective direction of M23 operations."

Rwanda has continually refuted backing M23 and claims its forces act in self-defence.

Presidential Appeal

The DRC president, Félix Tshisekedi, recently called upon his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, to cease backing militants in the DRC during a European gathering featuring both leaders.

"This demands you to command the M23 troops backed by your country to halt this deterioration, which has already led to enough casualties," the leader emphasized.

EU Sanctions

The EU has imposed restrictions against 32 people and two groups – a militant group and a Rwandan mineral treatment facility handling unauthorized sources of the metal – for their participation in intensifying the conflict.

Despite these findings of human rights abuses by the Rwandan army in the DRC, the European Commission has declined calls to terminate a 2024 resource partnership with Kigali.

Mineral Issues

Wagner described the memorandum of understanding with Rwanda as "void of any credibility in a environment where it has been confirmed that Rwanda has been illegally extracting DRC minerals" extracted under harsh circumstances of forced labour, affecting children.

The United States and various countries have expressed alarm about unauthorized transactions in mineral resources in Congo's eastern region, mined via coerced employment, then trafficked to Rwanda for international trade to support rebel organizations.

Humanitarian Crisis

The unrest in Congo's east remains one of the world's gravest emergency situations, with exceeding 7.8 million people relocated within country in affected areas and 28 million confronting food insecurity, including 4 million at emergency levels, according to UN assessments.

Diplomatic Efforts

As the DRC's top representative, Wagner ratified the agreement with Rwanda at the US presidential residence in June, which also seeks to give the United States greater access to Congolese natural resources.

She asserted that the US remains engaged in the peace process and dismissed suggestions that primary interest was the DRC's vast mineral wealth.

EU Cooperation

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

She emphasized the Lobito corridor – transportation infrastructure transport links – joining the mineral heartlands of the DRC and Zambia to Angola's western shoreline.

Wagner admitted that the EU and DRC had a firm groundwork in the Lobito project, but "a great deal has been diminished by the crisis in the troubled region."