DRCongo: EU works on ‘stronger response’ – High Representative

The head of the European Union’s diplomacy said today that they are working on a “stronger response” from the community to the conflict between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the M23 group supported by Rwanda, recalling the role of Rwandan forces in Mozambique.
“We are currently working to provide a stronger response, but we need a unanimous decision from all member states, and that is, once again, a problem, but I am working on it,” declared the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, in an interview with Lusa and other European agencies in Brussels as part of the European Newsroom project.
Referring to the growing tensions in eastern DRC, the head of community diplomacy pointed out that one of the options would be “the suspension of the Memorandum of Understanding on essential raw materials” with Rwanda, as well as the application of European Union (EU) sanctions.
“But we need to have all 27 member states on board,” given the necessary unanimity in the Council to make such decisions, Kaja Kallas recalled, also speaking of a “dilemma” due to the fact that Rwanda “is the global gateway and, at the same time, helps with the peacekeeping mission in Mozambique.”
The official referred to Rwanda’s involvement in the Peace Support Mechanism in the province of Cabo Delgado, in northern Mozambique, where attacks claimed by movements associated with the extremist group Islamic State have occurred, funded by the EU.
“But at the same time, we see them attacking Congo (Democratic Republic) and there are many victims, and we also want to end this,” she pointed out.
Kaja Kallas argued that this issue should be discussed “in a broader sense,” suggesting the creation of a Kimberley Process – the certification process for diamond origin to prevent the buying and selling of diamonds from conflict areas, civil wars, and human rights abuses – but for essential raw materials.
“We need something like this for essential raw materials […] if a country is attacking another country, taking over mines, and selling those materials as if they were theirs and can finance their war with those raw materials,” she added.
When asked by Lusa about the political situation in Mozambique, the official said that, at the moment, the context is “calmer and quieter.”
The position comes after, at the end of January, the European Commission announced that the EU is evaluating its cooperation with Rwanda, considering Kigali’s support to the March 23 Movement (M23), which occupied Goma, in eastern DRC.
The M23 occupied mineral-rich Congolese provinces, with one of the agreements between the EU and Rwanda concerning the acquisition of strategic raw materials for the energy transition of the European bloc.
Since 1998, the eastern DRC, a country that was a Belgian colony, has been plunged into a conflict fueled by rebel militias and the army, despite the presence of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Monusco).
DRC shares borders with Angola.