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On 21 March, the Max van der Stoel Foundation is organising a political cafe On the crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The situation in the DRC is rapidly deteriorating: violence is escalating in the east of the country, with widespread human rights violations and the systematic use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. The city of Goma, population almost two million, was taken by the Rwanda-backed rebel movement M23 at the end of January. The bloody fighting between M23 and the Congolese army has caused at least three thousand deaths ensured. At the same time, Europe's role in the conflict remains contradictory: the EU is one of the largest humanitarian donors to the DRC, but at the same time maintains economic and military ties with Rwanda, a key player in the conflict. How should Europe rethink its role? And how can we work towards a better policy around the conflict? We spoke to MEP Marit Maij (GroenLinks-PvdA), who advocates for a fairer European policy.
A dual role for Europe
While the EU plays a crucial role in humanitarian aid, Maij says that is only one side of the story. Europe relies heavily on raw materials from the region, such as coltan and cobalt, which are essential for modern technology and our green transition. However, the way these raw materials are traded contributes to instability in the DRC, as countries like Rwanda benefit directly from them and the neighbouring country, some of which illegally extracts them from the DRC, trades with them. Revenue from this commodity trade and EU financial support to the Rwandan army strengthen armed groups like M23, which are held responsible for serious human rights violations in eastern Congo.
According to Maij, the EU must look critically at its own role in the conflict and "stop using double standards. She also thinks we should stop entering into agreements with Rwanda, the exact content of which remains unclear. The agreements reached between the European Commission and Rwanda on commodity trade, set out in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), raise questions about the level of transparency. 'We simply do not know exactly what was agreed,' she stresses. She therefore advocates suspending cooperation and support to Rwanda as long as the country is actively involved in the DRC conflict. 'This is because Rwanda is guilty of making war crimes, specifically also against women and girls. Rape is used as a weapon of war to disrupt communities and destroy the lives of residents. There must be sanctions against these perpetrators,' Maij argues.
Economic interests and political trade-offs
Within the European Parliament, there is strong support for condemning human rights violations and imposing sanctions against Rwanda. Yet in practice it proves more complicated. When the debate shifts to the economic consequences - such as the impact on commodity trade - some parliamentarians become more cautious. Nevertheless, the resolution at the European Parliament on rising violence in the DRC, which is an important first step towards a fairer European policy. The resolution says, among other things, that the EU must condemn the occupation of eastern Congolese territories and that cooperation as it stands with Rwanda over resources must stop.
Part of the solution, according to Maij, lies in organising mining and trade in the region differently. 'Why don't we start thinking about how we can do that cleanly and transparently? And then in such a way that there is no damage to the environment and human rights are not violated, that is possible,' Maij says. That means not only stricter regulations and more openness, but above all a different way of cooperating with African countries. Instead of just making deals with government leaders and multinationals, local communities should also have a say in shaping economic activities. Maij believes that "we must ensure that civil society organisations and women's organisations are given a role in this and have a say. At present, the balance of power is too skewed and too little account is taken of the people who actually live and work in mining regions.
Sudan and wider issues
Besides the conflict in the DRC, Maij also points to wider issues in the region. Large-scale human rights violations are also taking place in Sudan, including the systematic use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. As in Congo, economic interests play a role here: gold from Sudan is traded to Europe via the United Arab Emirates and eventually ends up in the smartphones and electronic devices that are indispensable in daily life. Maij stresses that Europe's dependence on these raw materials cannot be ignored in the discussion on human rights and conflict management.
According to Maij, Europe has two responsibilities: 'to generously support the conflict-affected population and at the same time critically examine our own role in it.' Maij argues that without this self-reflection and structural change, the EU loses its credibility as a champion of human rights and peace.
On 25 March, the Netherlands will host a committee debate on both the DRC and Sudan crises. This debate is an important moment to also scrutinise the Dutch role in these conflicts. How can the Netherlands contribute to a more sustainable and fairer policy within the EU, and what steps should be taken to stop economic interests taking precedence over human rights? The outcome of this debate can give direction to the Dutch commitment in Europe and make a more critical noise about the EU's involvement in these conflicts.
