DRC FM Calls on Global Partners to Act Against Rwanda’s War Crimes

As violence escalates in eastern Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s top diplomat is turning global outrage into a call for action.

In an interview with Sky News, Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner urged the United Kingdom and international community to impose firm, targeted sanctions against Rwanda’s leadership, warning that continued inaction risks legitimising war crimes and economic looting.

“We need sanctions, firm sanctions, and nd when we speak of sanctions, we do not speak of sanctions that target the Rwandan population, but sanctions that actually target the Rwandan leadership, the chain of command, and the financial networks behind this aggression.”

Accountability Must Follow the Chain of Command

Minister Wagner outlined the legal basis for international accountability, referencing well-documented UN findings linking the Rwandan Defence Forces (RDF) directly to the M23 rebel group operating in eastern DRC.

“There is clear evidence connecting the Rwandan army to M23, and from M23 directly back to decision-makers in Kigali. There must be accountability along that chain of command. There is legal precedent for that, in the DRC and elsewhere.”

According to Wagner, such accountability is not just moral, but necessary for deterrence:

“If impunity continues, then violence becomes a strategy, not a crime.”

“Rwanda Has No Mines, Only Congo’s Minerals”

The Minister then turned to the economic enablers of war, calling for an international ban on the export of Rwandan minerals.

“Rwanda presents itself as a mineral exporter. Yet, there are no significant mines in Rwanda. None. These minerals come from the DRC, extracted in zones under occupation, through violence and exploitation.”

She demanded that global markets enforce traceability laws to prevent the sale of “blood minerals” disguised as Rwandan exports.

“There is precedent for banning conflict minerals from reaching the world market. The same must now apply to Rwanda.”

“Rwanda Killed Peacekeepers, and Still Wears the UN Badge”

Wagner exposed another contradiction that has stunned African observers and international diplomats alike: Rwanda’s status as one of the largest troop-contributing countries to UN peacekeeping missions, despite its forces being implicated in the killing of peacekeepers.

Over 3,000 civilians were killed when the Rwandan army attacked Goma. Among the dead were 17 UN peacekeepers, from South Africa, Malawi, Tanzania, and Uruguay, killed by the Rwandan Defence Forces and M23.”

She then posed a haunting question to the global conscience:

“How can a country that kills peacekeepers still be allowed to wear the blue helmet of the United Nations? How can that status remain untouched?”

The DRC government is now pressing for Rwanda’s suspension or review as a UN troop contributor, citing gross violations of international humanitarian law.

When asked whether these demands had been formally conveyed to the British government, Wagner confirmed:

“Yes, I have spoken to the UK government directly. We need coordinated sanctions, not symbolic statements. Lives depend on it.”

“Peace Requires Consequences”

The minister’s intervention marks a new phase in Congo’s diplomatic campaign, one that blends justice, economics, and ethics.

Her message, like President Tshisekedi’s at recent summits, is blunt:

“Peace without accountability rewards the aggressor. Sanctions without enforcement reward the criminal. The time for half-measures is over.”

Bottom Line:

Kinshasa’s strategy is now unmistakable: transform moral outrage into legal action, expose Rwanda’s mineral fraud on the global stage, and demand that international institutions stop legitimising a regime that kills civilians and peacekeepers alike.

“We ask not for sympathy, but for justice.” Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Democratic Republic of Congo