The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a nation rich in strategically vital minerals, took center stage at the United Nations in New York on Tuesday, July 14, during a high-level meeting focused on critical minerals essential for the global energy transition. This UN initiative convened member states to address the governance challenges surrounding minerals that are indispensable for the world’s shift toward cleaner energy sources.

The Congolese delegation, led by State Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner—who oversees Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, Francophonie, and Congolese Abroad—was joined by representatives from the DRC’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations.

In her address, Minister Wagner emphasized that for the DRC, the issue of critical minerals transcends mere economic considerations. She highlighted the situation in the country’s eastern regions, particularly Rubaya, a key coltan mining hub, to illustrate her point.

“For countries like ours, this is no longer just about development. The illicit exploitation of our resources undermines state authority, erodes sovereignty, and can even lead to violations of territorial integrity. The case of Rubaya is glaring. Its mines account for roughly 15% of global tantalum demand. According to UN expert reports, at least 1,400 metric tons of coltan were clandestinely smuggled into Rwanda in the first year following their seizure by the M23—a militia group backed by Rwanda—generating approximately $800,000 in monthly revenue for the group,” she stated.

The Foreign Minister also condemned the lack of UN sanctions against Rwanda’s defense forces, despite documented evidence presented by UN experts.

“Yet, despite this overwhelming evidence, Rwanda’s defense forces remain unlisted under UN sanctions. This reflects both a failure to enforce existing measures and a broader flaw in the international framework. Too often, the governance of natural resources is treated solely as a development issue, even when illegal exploitation fuels armed conflicts, erodes state sovereignty, and violates territorial integrity,” she declared.

During her remarks, the DRC reaffirmed its commitment—through its current presidency of the UN Security Council—to champion an approach that directly links the governance of natural resources to conflict prevention and peacebuilding.

“This is why the DRC, during its Security Council presidency, is advocating for a more coherent framework that connects natural resource governance to conflict prevention, international peace and security, and shared prosperity. We welcome the Secretary-General’s guiding principles and concrete recommendations, but these principles will only matter if they translate into measurable change on the ground,” she added.

Minister Wagner further stressed the need to foster more balanced partnerships with mineral-producing nations. She called for shared accountability across all actors involved in the critical minerals supply chain.

“Partnerships must go beyond securing access to raw materials. They must support local and regional value addition, infrastructure development, technology transfer, skills enhancement, industrialization, access to financing, and market access. Responsibility must extend throughout the entire value chain—from the mine to the end user. Producers, traders, processors, financial institutions, manufacturers, and consumer countries must all share this responsibility,” she asserted.

Addressing the issue of traceability, she argued that it must effectively combat fraud and armed group financing without penalizing legitimate artisanal miners.

“Traceability must fight fraud, smuggling, and conflict financing while ensuring that legitimate artisanal producers are not excluded. It must not create new barriers to market access or place the full burden of compliance on producing countries. This agenda sits at the intersection of the Sustainable Development Goals: clean energy, decent work, industrialization, responsible production, climate action, strong institutions, and global partnerships,” she explained.

Concluding her intervention, Minister Wagner underscored that the success of the global energy transition must be measured not only by industrial output but also by its impact on the lives of people in resource-rich nations.

“Progress toward one goal must never come at the expense of another. Ultimately, the success of the energy transition will not be measured solely by the number of batteries, electric vehicles, or wind turbines produced. It will also be measured by whether the countries, workers, and communities whose resources make this transition possible are safer, more sovereign, and more prosperous as a result,” she emphasized.

These initiatives unfold against a backdrop of strategic partnerships between the DRC and the United States on critical minerals, as well as the Washington Agreement signed between Kinshasa and Kigali. That accord includes measures for de-escalation, the phased withdrawal of Rwandan forces from Congolese soil, and the neutralization of armed groups operating in eastern DRC—particularly the FDLR, which Kigali views as a security threat. Despite this diplomatic framework, widely praised upon its signing, the security situation remains highly precarious. On the ground, the Doha process—facilitated by Qatar to foster dialogue between Kinshasa and the M23 rebellion—remains stalled. The AFC/M23 rebels, accused by Kinshasa, the UN, and several international partners of receiving Rwandan support, continue to control cities such as Goma and Bukavu, as well as multiple localities in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. Clashes persist in various zones, while diplomatic efforts struggle to yield lasting results. This disparity once again reignites the debate on the persistent gap between announced diplomatic progress and ground realities.