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The Democratic Republic of Congo has described the European Union's persistent minerals partnership with Rwanda as demonstrating "obvious double standards" while enforcing significantly wider penalties in response to the Ukrainian crisis.

Government Firm Condemnation

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the Congo's top diplomat, demanded the EU to implement much stronger measures against Rwanda, which has been charged with intensifying the conflict in eastern DRC.

"This demonstrates clear double standards – I aim to be productive here – that makes us questioning and concerned about understanding why the EU again struggles so much to take action," she declared.

Peace Agreement History

The DRC and Rwanda ratified a conflict resolution in June, brokered by the America and Qatar, designed to resolve the decades-old conflict.

However, deadly attacks on non-combatants have persisted and a deadline to establish a final settlement was not met in August.

Expert Assessment

Last year, a international assessment team stated that up to 4,000 Rwandan troops were fighting alongside the M23 insurgent faction and that the Rwandan military was in "actual command of M23 operations."

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

Leadership Call

The DRC president, Félix Tshisekedi, recently appealed to his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, to stop supporting rebel forces in the DRC during a international conference attended by both leaders.

"This demands you to command the M23 troops backed by your country to end this escalation, which has already resulted in numerous casualties," the president declared.

European Measures

The EU has placed sanctions on 32 persons and two organizations – a armed faction and a Rwandan precious metals processor processing contraband materials of the metal – for their role in prolonging the conflict.

Despite these conclusions of rights violations by the Rwandan army in the DRC, the Brussels administration has declined calls to suspend a 2024 mining agreement with Kigali.

Resource Concerns

Wagner described the agreement with Rwanda as "lacking all legitimacy in a situation where it has been verified that Rwanda has been illegally extracting DRC minerals" obtained under severe situations of compulsory work, including children.

The United States and many others have raised concerns about illegal trade in precious metals in DRC's east, extracted via compulsory work, then illegally transported to Rwanda for international trade to support armed groups.

Regional Emergency

The violence in Congo's east remains one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with over 7.8 million people forced from homes in the region and 28 million experiencing hunger issues, including 4 million at emergency levels, according to UN assessments.

Global Involvement

As the DRC's chief diplomat, Wagner ratified the agreement with Rwanda at the US presidential residence in June, which also attempts to give the United States expanded opportunity to African wealth.

She maintained that the US remains involved in the diplomatic negotiations and rejected allegations that primary interest was the DRC's significant natural resources.

International Collaboration

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

She featured the Lobito corridor – transportation infrastructure transport links – connecting the mining regions of the DRC and Zambia to Angola's ocean access.

Wagner admitted that the EU and DRC had a solid basis in the Lobito project, but "significant aspects has been overshadowed by the conflict in the troubled region."