Congo warns US, Europe not to buy ‘looted’ minerals from Rwanda

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is cautioning Western countries to avoid buying smuggled minerals from Rwanda.

In an X tweet published Sunday, DRC presidential spokesperson Tina Salama urged the U.S. to buy minerals directly from Kinshasa rather than sourcing “looted” resources through Rwanda. She extended the same appeal to Europe and other buyers, emphasizing that the DRC is the true owner of these valuable commodities.

It appeared to contradict or at least dial back interpretations elsewhere on X that a New York Times story on Saturday had DRC President Felix Tshisekedi saying in an interview he would be ready to grant the U.S. and Europe access to the country’s vast mineral resources — on the condition that they intervene to end the ongoing conflict ravaging the nation.

The Times story describes Tshisekedi saying the Trump administration has shown interest in receiving DRC’s minerals but the DRC leader wasn’t directly quoted offering minerals to the U.S. for peace. Meanwhile Salama tweeted: 

“Setting the record straight: President Tshisekedi invites the USA, whose companies source strategic raw materials from Rwanda, materials that are looted from the DRC and smuggled to Rwanda while our populations are massacred, to purchase them directly from us the rightful owners.

“And it’s not just for the USA. The offer is also extended to Europeans and to all parties involved in sourcing smuggled, blood-stained raw materials from Rwanda.”

Mineral deal?

According to the Times, Tshisekedi did not rule out a potential minerals deal, allegedly stating that such an agreement would bring more security and stability to his country. 

Tshisekedi’s reported offer comes just days after the U.S. imposed sanctions on James Kabarebe, a Rwandan military officer and former Minister of Defence. The U.S. Treasury identified Kabarebe as “a Rwandan government liaison” to M23, a rebel group led by ethnic Tutsis that has seized key towns in eastern DRC, including the major city of Goma.

The group has previously threatened to push toward the capital, Kinshasa, though analysts consider this unlikely given the vast distance of 2,600 kilometres.

With sanctions imposed on Rwanda and on M23, “sourcing raw materials also known as conflict minerals from Rwanda will become increasingly compromising and complicated,” Salama wrote.

China currently enjoys greater access to Congo’s mineral wealth than the U.S., while the European Union has negotiated with Rwanda. Last year, the EU agreed to provide Rwanda with approximately $935 million in exchange for minerals such as tin, tungsten, and gold. 

EU foreign ministers met on Monday and failed to reach a consensus on immediate sanctions against Rwanda for its alleged involvement in the conflict. The bloc has, however, signalled a possible reassessment of its raw materials agreement with Rwanda.

“We have urged Rwanda to withdraw its troops, and the Memorandum of Understanding regarding critical raw materials will be under review,” the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, said on Monday.

Belgium, DRC’s former colonial ruler, signed a separate agreement with the African nation in February 2023 as part of the EU’s broader efforts to secure critical mineral supplies. That deal described Rwanda as a “major player” in the global extraction of tantalum, tin, tungsten, and gold, while also noting the country’s “potential” in lithium and rare earth mining.

Mineral loot

Congo and multiple United Nations reports have accused Rwanda of using the unrest as a way of looting Congolese minerals and metals, such as gold, copper, cobalt and coltan — essential for manufacturing high-tech devices and electric vehicle batteries.

The M23 rebel group has reportedly seized several lucrative mining regions, and a UN expert report in December stated that around 120 tonnes of coltan were being smuggled into Rwanda every month.

The report also pointed to a sharp rise in Rwanda’s mineral exports, much of which is suspected to originate from the DRC. Rwanda has consistently denied allegations of mineral exploitation.

The DRC remains the world’s largest cobalt producer, with 220,000 metric tons of the metal mined last year, data from the US Geological Survey shows.

Nearly 70% of the world’s tantalum, which is extracted from coltan, comes from DRC and neighbouring Rwanda. The volatile eastern region of the DRC is also home to vast deposits of tin and tungsten.

The country also possesses vast sources of coltan. The mining of the metal has been linked to “large-scale environmental damage, human rights abuses, violence and death”. Reports indicate that child labour is widely used in hazardous mining conditions, further deepening concerns about ethical sourcing.