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The Democratic Republic of Congo has characterized the European Union's ongoing minerals agreement with Rwanda as exhibiting "evident contradiction" while imposing much broader penalties in response to the Ukrainian crisis.

Government Sharp Rebuke

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the DRC's top diplomat, urged the EU to implement far more severe sanctions against Rwanda, which has been alleged to exacerbate the unrest in DRC's eastern territories.

"It represents obvious hypocrisy – I want to be helpful here – that has us curious and concerned about grasping why the EU again struggles so much to implement measures," she emphasized.

Peace Agreement History

The DRC and Rwanda agreed to a conflict resolution in June, brokered by the US and Qatar, designed to end the protracted conflict.

However, lethal incidents on non-combatants have continued and a deadline to reach a comprehensive peace agreement was not met in August.

UN Report

Last year, a group of UN experts stated that up to 4,000 Rwandan troops were operating with the M23 militant organization and that the Rwandan military was in "de facto control of M23 operations."

Rwanda has consistently denied backing M23 and claims its forces act in national security.

Diplomatic Request

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 necessitates you to command the M23 troops backed by your country to stop this deterioration, which has already caused numerous fatalities," the leader emphasized.

European Measures

The EU has placed sanctions on 32 individuals and two organizations – a armed faction and a Rwandan mineral treatment facility dealing in contraband materials of the metal – for their role in intensifying the conflict.

Despite these determinations of international law breaches by the Rwandan army in the DRC, the European Commission has resisted demands to suspend a 2024 mining agreement with Kigali.

Economic Implications

Wagner labeled the agreement with Rwanda as "void of any credibility in a environment where it has been verified that Rwanda has been diverting African wealth" mined under brutal conditions of coerced employment, including children.

The United States and various countries have voiced apprehension about illicit commerce in mineral resources in Congo's eastern region, extracted via forced labour, then illegally transported to Rwanda for shipment to benefit rebel organizations.

Human Catastrophe

The violence in DRC's eastern territories remains one of the world's gravest human catastrophes, with over 7.8 million people relocated within country in the region and 28 million confronting nutritional challenges, including 4 million at crisis conditions, according to UN reports.

Global Involvement

As the DRC's principal negotiator, Wagner signed the accord with Rwanda at the White House in June, which also seeks to give the United States enhanced entry to Congolese natural resources.

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

EU Cooperation

The Brussels chief, Ursula von der Leyen, commenced a gathering by emphasizing that the EU wanted "partnerships based on shared objectives and honoring independence."

She emphasized the Lobito corridor – multi-modal transport links – connecting the resource-rich areas of the DRC and Zambia to Angola's Atlantic coast.

Wagner admitted that the EU and DRC had a solid basis in the Lobito project, but "a great deal has been overshadowed by the situation in Congo's east."