UAE Cuts Rwanda Out, Begins Buying Gold Directly From Congo

Why the UAE Changed Its Congo Gold Strategy

The United Arab Emirates has decisively shifted its gold sourcing strategy in Central Africa, opting to buy gold directly from the Democratic Republic of Congo and bypass Rwanda — a move that strikes at the heart of what Congolese officials and international investigators describe as years of systematic smuggling of Congolese gold through Kigali.

The turning point came on February 2 in Abu Dhabi, with the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Kinshasa and Abu Dhabi, in the presence of Presidents Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi and Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

How Congolese Gold Was Routed Through Rwanda

For years, eastern Congo’s gold has quietly flowed out through Rwanda. In 2024 alone, Rwanda exported $1.07 billion in gold to the UAE, despite limited domestic production. Multiple investigations, including by The Sentry, an NGO co-founded by George Clooney, have documented how much of this gold originated in North and South Kivu, areas destabilized by Rwanda-backed armed groups, including the M23.

The figures are stark. According to The Sentry, Rwanda exported more than $800 million worth of gold between January and March 2025, coinciding with the occupation of several Congolese mining sites by M23 rebels. For Kinshasa, the conclusion has long been clear: Congo was being looted, while Rwanda acted as the laundering corridor.

What the CEPA Agreement Really Changes

The Kinshasa–Abu Dhabi agreement is designed to collapse that smuggling architecture.

Under CEPA, the UAE commits to sourcing gold directly from Congolese channels, within a formalized, traceable framework covering trade in goods and services, rules of origin, e-commerce, and private investment promotion.

“This agreement embodies a shared commitment to dismantling mafia networks through transparency,” said Foreign Trade Minister Julien Paluku, stressing that the deal aims to end opaque supply chains that have deprived Congo of revenues for decades.