President Paul Kagame has strongly pushed back against international narratives suggesting Rwanda’s burgeoning mineral sector relies on resources from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), asserting that his nation’s drive to become a processing hub is both legitimate and strategic.
Speaking on Thursday, February 5, during the National Umushyikirano Council at the Kigali Convention Centre, Kagame dismissed concerns regarding the origin of minerals processed within Rwanda, calling out what he described as a double standard in the global economy.
“It shouldn’t be a problem if we processed minerals from anywhere,” Kagame told delegates. He drew a sharp comparison to developed nations that dominate the global market. “If you looked at all mineral trading countries, especially developed economies… they don’t have minerals, but they profit from them more than everyone else does. Where do they get them from?”
A Push for Value Addition
The President’s remarks came during an exchange with Alice Uwase, Director of the Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board (RMB). When questioned about the percentage of minerals sourced from the DRC versus those mined domestically, Uwase emphasized that Rwanda’s industry is self-sustaining.
“Our own hills have minerals,” Uwase stated. “All we need is to recognize their value, put effort into value addition, and develop a long-term vision of becoming a regional trading hub for processed minerals.”
She clarified that Rwanda does not depend on its western neighbor to develop its mining industry, countering allegations that often plague the region’s geopolitics.
Challenging the “Transit” Narrative
Kagame criticized the expectation from some foreign powers that Rwanda should merely serve as a transit route, allowing raw materials to pass through unprocessed to benefit industries abroad.
“Why should it go to your country? Along the entire route, why doesn’t anyone stop and collect anything?” Kagame asked. “To say ‘You should do nothing, everything will be brought here’ is wrong.”
He further noted that while Rwanda shares a border with eastern DRC, minerals from other resource-rich Congolese regions, such as Katanga and Equateur, exit through different neighboring countries or by air without generating similar diplomatic friction or blame.
“Stop Talking Nonsense”
In a final emphatic point, the President used the aviation sector to illustrate the absurdity of the criticism. He argued that just as international travelers use Kigali as a transit hub to reach global destinations, commodities should be treated with the same logic.
“Besides minerals, even people cross into Rwanda, board planes, and go elsewhere. Should we tell the Congolese people or anyone else not to board airplanes in Rwanda to fly to Dubai, Brussels, Paris, London, or Washington?” Kagame asked.
“People should stop talking nonsense,” he concluded.
