In his first interview since an armed group backed by Rwanda seized swaths of his nation’s territory this yr, Felix Tshisekedi, the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, provided the USA and Europe a stake in his nation’s huge mineral wealth, a sector at present dominated by China.
Congo is taken into account to be among the many world’s wealthiest nation by way of pure sources. It supplies a lot of the world’s coltan, which is used to energy smartphones and computer systems. It additionally holds greater than half the world’s cobalt reserves, utilized in electrical autos.
Mr. Tshisekedi appeared wanting to capitalize on this as he tries to handle a battle he says is just like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Mr. Tshisekedi has pinned his hopes on Western stress towards Rwanda, calculating that main investments in Congo — together with a attainable minerals deal — would carry his nation way more safety and stability.
China at present has far better entry to Congo’s mineral wealth than the USA, whereas the European Union has negotiated with Rwanda, agreeing to present it about $935 million in return for entry to minerals like tin, tungsten and gold.
Mr. Tshisekedi mentioned these minerals are plundered by Rwanda from his nation, and referred to as Europe’s deal “an absolute scandal,” accusing the European Union of being “complicit within the theft and looting of Congo.”
The European Union has argued that the deal will result in elevated regulation and better cooperation within the struggle towards battle supplies. Final week, the European Parliament referred to as for the deal to be suspended till Rwanda ceased all interference in Congo, “together with exporting minerals mined from M23-controlled areas.”
Competitors over Congo’s riches has lengthy saved its inhabitants among the many world’s poorest, and the weak spot of its military has saved it susceptible to outsiders.
An armed group referred to as M23 started its lightning offensive in japanese Congo earlier this yr. The group is made up of roughly 8,000 males that the USA and the United Nations say are directed and funded by Rwanda.
M23 has killed hundreds of Congolese troopers and civilians since January, capturing two key airports and two main japanese cities, Goma and Bukavu. It’s at present marching towards a 3rd.
On Thursday, the USA introduced sanctions on an M23 spokesman and a Rwandan authorities minister for hyperlinks to the violence in japanese Congo.
A thousand miles to the west in Kinshasa, Congo’s capital, Mr. Tshisekedi has been operating out of choices. Talking over video name from his wood-paneled workplace, he mentioned he had skipped latest peace talks on the battle as a result of Rwanda has insisted he communicate on to M23.
“I don’t wish to negotiate with M23,” he mentioned. “M23 is an empty shell.”
Mr. Tshisekedi accuses Rwanda of attempting to disguise M23 as a Congolese armed motion, saying it’s actually a creation of the Rwandan navy meant to defend Rwandan pursuits in Congo, together with plundering minerals. “We’d fairly discuss to Rwanda,” he mentioned.
Paul Kagame, the president of Rwanda, has denied funding or directing M23. In response to a request for remark, a spokeswoman for Mr. Kagame wrote that Mr. Tshisekedi was selling a “drained story,” and inspired him to “observe the highway map African regional leaders have determined.”
These regional efforts to resolve the disaster have floundered, and Mr. Kagame has additionally refused to attend latest peace talks. Calls by the African Union for a cease-fire have to this point gone unheeded.
However the disaster is at a pivotal second. In its sanctions announcement on Thursday, the USA warned of the prospect of a wider regional conflict.
This week, M23 attacked all the principle Congolese navy positions on the highway to Butembo, a metropolis north of Goma, based on native experiences. M23 has additionally mentioned it has its sights on Kinshasa. Mr. Tshisekedi has vowed to retake Goma from M23 “both via dialogue or navy reconquest.”
The Trump administration has already proven curiosity in a deal that would guarantee a stream of strategic minerals straight from Congo, Mr. Tshisekedi mentioned. He additionally touted investments in main Congolese tasks together with a mega dam that, if accomplished, could be the world’s largest hydroelectric plant.
On the identical time, Rwanda has cultivated relationships with Western powers — internet hosting main sporting occasions and live shows with celebrities like Kendrick Lamar — making extra aggressive sanctions from the West unlikely to return rapidly, analysts say.
“Leaders should be braver,” Mr. Tshisekedi mentioned. “It appears to me everybody’s afraid of Kagame. Why? That surprises me.”
M23 claims its mission is to guard one in every of Congo’s ethnic minorities.
Thirty years in the past, about 800,000 civilians, principally Tutsis, had been slaughtered in Rwanda by members of the Hutu majority. After the genocide, most of the Hutus in Rwanda fled into Congo to keep away from dealing with justice. M23 claims the Tshisekedi authorities is failing to guard Congolese Tutsi, identified in Congo as Banyamulenge, from discrimination.
Mr. Tshisekedi has denied this. “That’s not true,” he mentioned within the interview. “I’m the primary president of this nation to have mentioned loud and clear to all my compatriots that the Banyamulenge, or Congolese Kinyarwanda-speaking Tutsi, all are certainly Congolese.”
Mr. Kagame says the battle in japanese Congo should be resolved between Congolese leaders and the rebels. He has acknowledged that Rwandan troops are current in Congo, however denies supporting M23. Fighters hostile to Rwanda in japanese Congo pose a nationwide safety danger for his nation, Mr. Kagame has mentioned.
Mr. Tshisekedi mentioned within the interview that this was a false pretext to justify invasion. “In actuality, they’re plundering Congo’s pure sources,” he mentioned, calling Mr. Kagame a “warlord” with a “mania to be the apex predator.” In line with the United Nations, M23 already controls a lot of Congo’s coltan.
Thus far, the USA has issued condemnations of Rwanda however taken little motion. On Jan. 30, President Trump referred to as the preventing in japanese Congo “a really significant issue” however declined to say extra.
Specialists mentioned the sanctions introduced on Thursday had been a big symbolic step — notably these towards James Kabarebe, one in every of Mr. Kagame’s oldest loyalists, who helped a earlier incarnation of Rwanda-backed rebels seize Kinshasa in 1997.
However, analysts say, the USA might go a lot additional, as an example by pushing the World Financial institution to chop Rwanda’s funding, a lot of which is offered by the U.S. authorities, and by reviewing Rwanda’s profitable function as a provider of troops to peacekeeping missions.
On Friday, the U.N. Safety Council unanimously adopted a draft decision that referred to as for the withdrawal of Rwandan troops in Congo and an finish to the M23 offensive.
“The one language Kagame understands is power,” Mr. Tshisekedi mentioned. “Diplomacy isn’t in his DNA.”
