DRC : The EU ambiguous role in the plunder of congolese natural resources by Rwanda
The Congolese Government had enough of the European Union’s ambivalence in decision-making to end the security crisis in eastern Congo. Congolese authorities, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Francophonie, expressed their views on the memorandum of understanding signed between Rwanda’s Paul Kagame and the European Union on sustainable value chains for critical and strategic raw materials.
While acknowledging the sovereignty of the signatory parties, the Congolese Government nonetheless denounces this memorandum, which evidently encourages the plundering of Congolese natural resources by Rwanda and contradicts the European Union’s commitments.
« The Congolese Government considers, therefore, the signing of the aforementioned Protocol, which occurred shortly after the statement in Kigali by the Head of State of Poland, an EU member state, of providing arms to Rwanda in the event of an external attack, as a very unfriendly act that does not foster mutual trust between the DRC and the European Union », wrote Christophe Lutundula, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Francophonie, in a statement released on Wednesday, February 21, 2024.
« The Congolese authorities expect clarification from the European Union regarding this ambiguous behavior, as they continue to affirm their willingness to contribute to the end of the security crisis in eastern Congo and the illegal exploitation of its natural resources, and to strengthen cooperation with the EU ».
The said memorandum of understanding aims to promote the development of sustainable and resilient value chains for critical raw materials between the European Union and Rwanda. For the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwandan soil does not abound with the critical and strategic minerals currently sought after worldwide (such as coltan, cobalt, lithium, niobium…).
The European Union and Rwanda have reached an agreement to boost the development of sustainable and resilient value chains for critical raw materials. For ordinary congolese citizens, therefore, the European Union’s arrangement with Rwanda to develop sustainable value chains for critical and strategic raw materials that it does not possess can only lead to an increase in the illegal exploitation of Congo’s natural resources by Rwanda, whose prosperity is based on this criminal activity.
This memorandum of understanding continues to provoke reactions in the Congolese sociopolitical environment. Public opinion wonders how the EU can sign such an agreement already concluded with the DRC, to then do it again with Rwanda, which has its troops in the DRC supporting the M23 rebels in violation of all international legal texts.
