Marine Le Pen Accuses EU of Complicity in Rwanda’s Exploitation of DRC’s Minerals
Marine Le Pen, President of the National Rally group in the French National Assembly, sharply criticized the European Union (EU) in a recent interview, accusing it of being complicit in the plundering of minerals from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) via Rwanda.
Le Pen claimed, “If the EU were truly committed to ethics, it would cease to be the recipient of the plunder that Rwanda is carrying out against the DRC.
Rwanda is looting valuable raw materials, including rare minerals that belong to the Congolese people, and selling them to the EU since February 2024. Yet, the EU turns a blind eye to this exploitation.”
The former presidential candidate in the 2022 French elections expressed concerns about the EU’s moral stance, questioning its commitment to ethical conduct.
In November 2024, the EU allocated 20 million euros to support the Rwandan army’s deployment in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province.
This funding was intended to aid the acquisition of individual equipment and cover transport costs for strategic air support.
However, Christophe-André Frassa, a French Republican representative, raised concerns during the January 29, 2025, government session about the traceability and control of EU funds sent to Rwanda.
He emphasized the lack of guarantees regarding the proper use of these funds, stating, “The EU is financing Rwanda with 20 million euros to intervene in Mozambique, yet there’s no assurance that these funds aren’t being misused.
Rwanda is a coltan exporter despite having no coltan reserves, while 60-80% of the world’s coltan is found in eastern DRC. It’s concerning.”
President Félix Tshisekedi, in his address on January 29, highlighted the international community’s passive stance toward the worsening security situation in Goma, exacerbated by the Rwandan army and its allies, AFC and M23. He expressed frustration over what he described as the international community’s complicity in the ongoing crisis.
