Critical minerals at un: DRC condemns Rwanda’s army inaction and calls for governance for peace
Critical minerals: at the UN, DRC condemns Rwanda’s army inaction and insists on governance for peace and development
- Security
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a nation abundant in some of the world’s most sought-after critical minerals, took center stage at a high-level United Nations meeting in New York on Tuesday, July 14. The event, convened by the UN Secretary-General, brought together member states to address the governance challenges surrounding critical minerals essential for the global energy transition.
Led by Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, Francophonie, and Congolese Abroad, the DRC delegation emphasized that the issue of critical minerals transcends mere economic considerations. Highlighting the situation in the country’s eastern provinces, the Foreign Minister pointed to Rubaya, a major coltan mining hub, as a stark example.
“For countries like ours, this is no longer just about development. Illegal exploitation undermines state authority, erodes sovereignty, and can even lead to violations of territorial integrity. The case of Rubaya is telling. Its mines account for about 15% of global tantalum demand. According to UN experts, at least 1,400 tons of coltan were smuggled into Rwanda in the year following their seizure by the M23—a group supported by Rwanda—generating approximately $800,000 per month for the armed faction,” the Foreign Minister stated.
The DRC’s top diplomat also condemned the lack of UN sanctions against Rwanda’s Defense Forces, despite documented evidence provided by UN experts.
“Despite overwhelming evidence, Rwanda’s Defense Forces remain unsanctioned by the UN. This reflects both a failure to enforce existing tools and a broader flaw in the international framework. Too often, the governance of natural resources is confined to the realm of development, even when illicit exploitation fuels armed conflict, erodes sovereignty, and violates territorial integrity,” she declared.
During her address, the DRC reaffirmed its commitment—under its current presidency of the UN Security Council—to advocate for a framework that directly links the governance of natural resources to conflict prevention and peacebuilding.
“This is why the DRC, during its Security Council presidency, is pushing for a more coherent approach that ties natural resource governance to conflict prevention, international peace and security, and shared prosperity. We welcome the Secretary-General’s guiding principles and concrete recommendations, but these will only matter if they translate into measurable change on the ground,” she emphasized.
Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner also underscored the need for more balanced partnerships with countries that produce critical minerals. She called for shared responsibility across all actors in the mineral value chain.
“Partnerships must go beyond securing access to raw materials. They should support local and regional value addition, infrastructure development, technology transfer, research, skills development, industrialization, and access to financing and markets. Responsibility must extend across the entire value chain—from the mine to the market. Producers, traders, processors, financial institutions, manufacturers, and consumer countries must all be held accountable,” she stated.
Addressing traceability, the Deputy Prime Minister stressed that it should effectively combat fraud and armed group financing without penalizing legitimate artisanal miners.
“Traceability must combat fraud, smuggling, and conflict financing without excluding legitimate artisanal producers, creating new market barriers, or placing the full burden of compliance on producing countries. This effort aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals: clean energy, decent work, industrialization, responsible production, climate action, strong institutions, and international partnerships,” she explained.
The Foreign Minister concluded by stressing that the success of the global energy transition must be measured not only by industrial output but also by its impact on the people of resource-rich nations.
“Progress toward one goal must never come at the expense of another. Ultimately, the success of the energy transition will not be measured solely by the number of batteries, electric vehicles, or wind turbines produced. It will be measured by whether the countries, workers, and communities whose resources make this transition possible are safer, more sovereign, and more prosperous as a result,” she insisted.
These remarks come amid a strategic partnership between the DRC and the United States on critical minerals, as well as the Washington Agreement signed between Kinshasa and Kigali. The latter includes measures for de-escalation, the gradual withdrawal of Rwandan forces from Congolese territory, and the neutralization of armed groups operating in eastern DRC—particularly the FDLR, which Kigali views as a security threat. Despite this diplomatic framework, widely praised at the time of its signing, the security situation remains highly fragile. On the ground, the Doha process, facilitated by Qatar to foster dialogue between Kinshasa and the M23 rebellion, remains stalled.
The M23 rebels, whom Kinshasa, the UN, and several international partners accuse Rwanda of supporting, continue to control key cities such as Goma and Bukavu, along with several other localities in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. Clashes persist in various areas, while diplomatic efforts struggle to yield lasting results. This ongoing disparity between announced diplomatic progress and ground realities has once again reignited debates about the persistent disconnect between policy and reality.
