Tensions between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) escalated in 2022, mainly due to the resurgence of M23 rebels, with Kinshasa accusing Kigali of backing the rebels, allegations constantly denied by the government of Rwanda.

The Congolese government's false claims constantly seek to deflect attention onto Rwanda and avoid accountability of governance failures back home.

In an attempt to leverage media interest in one of the world's largest companies, on April 25, lawyers representing the Congolese government wrote a letter to tech giant, Apple, seeking further information about the details of its supply chain. The central African country’s authorities are alleging that Apple has been sourcing conflict minerals from DRC.

Kinshasa alleged that Rwanda is the location where big tech firms source their products. "The world's eyes are wide shut: Rwanda's production of key 3T minerals (tin, tungsten and tantalum) is near zero, and yet big tech companies say their minerals are sourced in Rwanda," read part of the letter.

Looking at how the Congolese leaders have been claiming that Rwanda has no minerals, one would think that DRC is the only country with mineral resources in the region.

Kinshasa will tarnish Rwanda’s image at any cost.

Following the signing, on February 21, of a memorandum of understanding between the European Union and Rwanda aimed at integrating sustainable value chains for critical and strategic raw materials, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi turned his nose up in protest.

“It’s a provocation in very bad taste,” Tshisekedi told reporters on national television, adding that Rwanda should not export wealth that it does not have.

Do these minerals stop at Rwanda's borders? Rwandan President Paul Kagame asked in 2017. “Science should be used to find the facts so that, for once, we put an end to speculation and conspiracy theories about Rwanda’s resources.”

Since colonial time, Belgian mining companies were extracting mineral resources from Rwanda. In 1989, Régie d’Exploitation et de Développement des Mines (REDEMI), a public company was established to carry on with mining and exploration.

Documented reports indicate that from 1930 to 1968, Rwanda’s mineral production increased from 20 per cent to 42.5 per cent of all foreign exchange earnings of the country.

Rwandan has been encouraging investment in the mining sector, with an ambitious plan to exploit the vast natural resources beneath the country’s hills and valleys.

In 2013, Rwanda became the world’s single largest exporter of Coltan (tantalum). The country exported 2,466,025 kilos of tantalum, accounting for 28 per cent of total 8,807,232 kilos of tantalum produced globally. Total revenue from Coltan was $134.5 million.

“Rwanda has not only enough Coltan but of a very high quality,” President Kagame said in 2015.

Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board (RMB) crossed the $1 billion mark in export revenue generated in 2023, representing a 43 per cent increase from $772 million recorded in 2022.

Kinshasa has never acknowledged its internal problems and Rwanda’s concern on FDLR’s operations in eastern DRC, but opted to constantly accuse Rwanda of destabilizing the area to plunder mineral resources.

The accusation is irrational. Rwanda is a member state of the ICGLR Mineral Tracking and Certification Scheme whose aim is to provide for sustainable conflict-free mineral chains in and between Member States of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region with a view to eliminating support to armed groups that sustain or prolong conflict.

Rwanda’s minerals are certified and comply with international standards.

The real plunderers of Congolese minerals are well known but DRC pretends to be unaware of them, and works tirelessly to deflect attention onto Rwanda with false accusations, aiming at leveraging media attention to tarnish Rwanda’s image.