The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) made a strong case at the United Nations in New York on Tuesday, 14 July, during a high-level meeting focused on critical minerals essential for the global energy transition. The Congolese delegation, led by Minister of State Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, highlighted how the exploitation of these resources is deeply intertwined with security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity—especially in the country’s eastern provinces.

Addressing the UN General Assembly, the Foreign Minister stressed that for the DRC, the issue of critical minerals is not merely an economic concern. She pointed to the situation in Rubaya, a major coltan mining hub in North Kivu, as a stark example of how illicit resource exploitation fuels conflict and undermines state authority. According to UN experts, over 1,400 tonnes of coltan were smuggled into Rwanda in the first year after being seized from M23 rebels—who are widely accused of receiving Rwandan military support—generating approximately $800,000 per month for the group.

Flawed governance and unaddressed security threats

Despite documented evidence of Rwandan military involvement, the Foreign Minister condemned the lack of UN sanctions against Rwanda’s defense forces. In her speech, she argued that the international community’s failure to act reveals a critical gap in global governance frameworks, where resource-related conflicts are often treated as development issues rather than security threats.

“While conclusive proof implicates Rwanda’s armed forces in facilitating the illegal exploitation of our minerals, these forces remain untouched by UN sanctions. This exposes a dangerous flaw: our international tools are not being applied with the urgency they demand. Worse still, the architecture of global governance still tends to confine natural resource governance to the realm of development—even when exploitation directly fuels armed conflict, erodes state sovereignty, and violates territorial integrity.”

As chair of the UN Security Council this month, the DRC is advocating for a more integrated approach linking natural resource governance to conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and shared prosperity. The Congolese delegation welcomed the UN Secretary-General’s guiding principles but insisted they must translate into measurable action on the ground.

Towards equitable partnerships and transparent supply chains

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner also emphasized the need for fairer partnerships with mineral-importing nations. She called for shared responsibility across the entire value chain—from mining and trade to finance and technology transfer—stressing that accountability cannot end at the mine’s gate.

“Partnerships must go beyond securing access to raw materials. They need to support local and regional value addition, infrastructure development, technology transfer, skills training, industrialization, access to finance, and market access. Responsibility must extend across the entire value chain. It cannot stop at the mine. Producers, traders, processors, financial institutions, manufacturers, and consumer countries all share this duty.”

On traceability, she argued that systems must combat fraud and armed group financing without penalizing legitimate artisanal miners or creating new trade barriers. Such measures, she noted, align with multiple Sustainable Development Goals: clean energy, decent work, responsible production, climate action, strong institutions, and global partnerships.

The true measure of energy transition success

The Foreign Minister concluded by warning that the success of the global energy transition must be judged not only by industrial output but also by its impact on the lives of people in resource-rich nations. She cautioned against replacing one form of dependence with another.

“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 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.”

These remarks come amid a strategic minerals partnership between the DRC and the United States, as well as the Washington Agreement signed with Rwanda, which includes commitments to de-escalation, the phased withdrawal of Rwandan forces, and the neutralization of armed groups in eastern DRC—including the FDLR, which Kigali considers a security threat. Yet despite these diplomatic frameworks, the security situation remains highly volatile. The Doha-led dialogue between Kinshasa and the M23 rebellion, brokered under Qatari auspices, remains stalled, and rebel forces continue to control key cities such as Goma and Bukavu, as well as several towns in North and South Kivu. Ongoing clashes and stalled negotiations underscore the persistent disconnect between diplomatic progress and ground realities.