- Sécurité
China has issued a strong call to the international community, urging a comprehensive approach to address the underlying causes of the persistent conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The nation emphasized that the illicit exploitation of natural resources remains a primary driver of instability across the Great Lakes region.
Speaking before the United Nations Security Council, Fu Cong, China’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative, highlighted the worsening security and humanitarian situation in the DRC, noting the ongoing conflict and a resurgence of the Ebola epidemic. He stressed the urgent need for the international community to collaborate effectively to reverse these alarming trends.
The Chinese diplomat underscored the critical importance of confronting the economic dimensions of the conflict directly.
“The deep-seated causes of this conflict must be tackled swiftly and decisively. The DRC’s abundant natural resources, which should be foundational for national development, are instead being plundered by armed groups and trafficked, thereby fueling the conflict,” the Chinese representative stated on Friday, June 26.
Beijing believes that enhancing governance within the mining sector is a crucial step towards restoring peace. In this regard, Fu Cong affirmed that “China supports the efforts of regional countries to establish transparent and inclusive mining cooperation, aiming to break the cycle of illicit trade.”
The Chinese representative also urged the Security Council to bolster its support for regional initiatives. He suggested that “the Council should back regional organizations and mechanisms in their endeavors to improve transparency and traceability in the export of these valuable resources.”
Furthermore, the ambassador called upon external actors to adopt a more collaborative stance.
“Major powers from outside the region should refrain from treating natural resources as bargaining chips in resolving regional issues. Instead, they should foster open cooperation, free from zero-sum logic, to ensure that local populations genuinely benefit from the development and exploitation of these natural assets,” he emphasized.
The protracted warfare and instability that have plagued eastern Democratic Republic of Congo for over three decades are intrinsically linked to economic predation. Armed groups, including the AFC/M23, control numerous strategic mining sites, such as Rubaya, facilitating an illegal trade of minerals into neighboring countries. Congolese authorities assert that this illicit activity deprives the state of substantial tax revenues and significantly impedes economic development in the eastern provinces. The Congolese government has consistently maintained that the conflict is primarily an “economic war” orchestrated by Rwanda through what it describes as “proxies,” an accusation systematically denied by Kigali.
In an effort to de-escalate the crisis, the United States facilitated the signing of the Washington Agreement between the DRC and Rwanda. This accord aimed to address both security concerns and economic issues related to natural resource exploitation. However, its implementation has yet to yield anticipated results. Both Kinshasa and Kigali accuse each other of failing to uphold commitments, each interpreting certain clauses of the agreement differently.
A similar lack of progress is evident in the Doha Process, led by the State of Qatar, which seeks to foster direct dialogue between the Congolese government and the AFC/M23. Despite multiple rounds of discussions, concrete advancements remain limited, and the security situation on the ground largely persists unchanged.
