Joint letter: Civil Society Calls on the European Commission to end the EU-Rwanda Partnership Amid Rwanda’s Escalating Aggression in Eastern Congo

On February 4, 2025, Resource Matters, alongside 63 civil society organizations from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Europe, and beyond, call on the European Union (EU) – and in particular the European Commission – to take immediate action to end its involvement in Rwanda’s critical raw materials sector.

According UN Group of experts, at least 150 tons of coltan are fraudulently exported each month to Rwanda, where they are mixed with domestic production, causing the largest recorded contamination of mineral supply chains in the Great Lakes region in the last decade. This highlights Rwanda’s significant role in the illegal exploitation of minerals from the DRC, which continues to fuel conflict and human rights violations. 

Despite the EU’s public condemnation of Rwanda’s involvement in the DRC conflict, EU institutions continue to engage with Rwanda’s mineral sector. By assessing prospective Strategic Projects in Rwanda under the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) and considering major investments under the Global Gateway, the EU risks supporting the mining sector of a country that is actively destabilizing its neighbor and compromising critical mineral supply chains.

The situation demands urgent action to ensure that EU policies do not unintentionally contribute to war, human rights violations, and illicit resource exploitation.

We urge the European Commission to:

1. Immediately withdraw from the EU-Rwanda MoU on critical raw materials. The EU must terminate this agreement to uphold its commitment to human rights, sovereignty, and responsible sourcing. The partnership with Rwanda contradicts EU values.
   
   
2. Suspend any assessment of potential strategic projects involving Rwanda’s mining sector. Any CRMA-related prospective strategic projects under evaluation benefiting Rwanda should be paused until Rwanda ceases its military occupation of the DRC, stops violating international law, and ends its involvement in illicit mineral trade. Continuing engagement while Rwanda destabilizes the region is both irresponsible and harmful.
   
   
3. Ensure transparency and accountability in global mineral supply chains. The EU must ensure its policies do not contribute to human rights violations, illegal resource extraction, or conflict financing. Rwanda’s role in global supply chains must be closely monitored under existing EU laws to ensure that the EU is not indirectly supporting illicit trade or violence.

The DRC’s vast natural resources should be a source of peace and prosperity, not conflict and suffering. The EU has a moral and legal obligation to ensure that its policies do not inadvertently support aggression, occupation, or illegal exploitation. As one of the largest global importers of raw materials, the EU’s influence can play a pivotal role in shifting the dynamics of the region and ensuring that resources are used for the benefit of the Congolese people, not conflict profiteers.By withdrawing from the MoU with Rwanda, halting strategic projects under the CRMA, and adopting concrete measures to promote accountability, the EU can reaffirm its commitment to its values and contribute to a lasting and just resolution for the Congolese people.

‍Read the full joint letter here

‍‍For further inquiries, please contact: martina.matarazzo@resourcematters.org