64 NGOs Ask EU to Cancel Mineral Pact with Rwanda Over Congo War

Rwanda and EU signed critical minerals pact last year
Groups accuse Rwanda of stealing minerals from eastern Congo

Members of the Congolese Red Cross and Civil Protection unload the bodies of the victims of the recent clashes to bury them in a cemetery in Goma on Feb. 3. — Members of the Congolese Red Cross and Civil Protection unload the bodies of the victims of the recent clashes to bury them in a cemetery in Goma on Feb. 3.
Photographer: Alexis Huguet/AFP/Getty Images

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By Michael J Kavanagh

February 4, 2025 at 6:16 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

A group of 64 organizations mainly from the Democratic Republic of Congo sent a letter asking the European Union to cancel a critical minerals partnership with Rwanda because of its support for a rebel group in eastern Congo.

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels took the Congolese trading hub of Goma last week, leaving thousands dead and wounded and raising concerns of a regional war. Congo and United Nations experts say M23 has been smuggling Congolese minerals to Rwanda to help pay for their rebellion.