Response to interpellation 2024/25:576 on the humanitarian situation in Congo and Sweden's view on trade with Rwanda
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
The debate concerns the humanitarian situation in Congo and Sweden's trade with Rwanda. M argues that Rwanda violates DRC's territorial integrity 1, but that the country has implemented reforms and is better than before 2. M emphasizes that Sweden follows EU rules 1 and has tasked Sida with reviewing the cooperation with Rwanda 3. M wants the Swedish support to remain large 4. V argues that Rwanda supports armed groups and plunders natural resources 5. V wants Sweden to stand up against authoritarian leaders 6, conduct a review of agreements with Rwanda 6, and get a grip on the trade with natural resources 6. V believes that a range of measures is needed 7.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Statsrådet Benjamin Dousa (M)
Mr. Speaker! Lorena Delgado Varas has asked me four questions, which to varying degrees bear on the situation in the eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC, as well as trade with Rwanda.
In my first question, Lorena Delgado Varas asks what measures I, as Minister, take to ensure that the EU's and Sweden's trade with Rwanda does not contribute to financing armed groups committing genocide and gross human rights violations in the DRC.
In her second question, Lorena Delgado Varas asks whether I, as Minister, am considering introducing stricter rules or sanctions against trade with Rwanda in light of what is stated in the first question and what Lorena Delgado Varas describes as Rwanda's documented role in the looting of Congo's natural resources and the ongoing violence in the region.
In her third question, Lorena Delgado Varas asks how I, as Minister, intend to act within the EU to strengthen the regulatory framework regarding trade with countries and companies that contribute to conflicts through illegal exploitation of natural resources.
Finally, Lorena Delgado Varas has asked what concrete measures I, as Minister, take to ensure that Swedish and European companies do not participate in, or indirectly finance, conflicts and human rights violations in the DRC through their presence and trade with conflict minerals.
I would like to begin by emphasizing that Sweden, bilaterally and through the EU, has been very clear in condemning Rwanda's actions in eastern DRC. Rwanda's military presence in support of the armed group M23 constitutes a violation of DRC's territorial integrity. Sweden and the EU have on repeated occasions urged Rwanda to cease its support for M23 and to withdraw its troops.
The Government has repeatedly underlined the importance of respect for international law and that its principles shall apply regardless of geographical context. That serious violations of human rights have been committed by several actors in eastern DRC is beyond doubt. Sweden and the EU have urged the parties in the conflict to cease the fighting and contribute to reaching a political solution. Sweden and the EU support ongoing international efforts to achieve this.
Trade policy is an area where the EU has exclusive competence, which among other things means that it is the EU that negotiates international trade agreements. The EU's treaties establish that the EU in its relations with the rest of the world shall, among other things, contribute to peace, security, free and fair trade, protection of human rights, as well as compliance with international law. This also applies to the EU's and Sweden's trade with Rwanda as well as with DRC.
The Government has a clear expectation that Swedish companies act sustainably and responsibly, for example by operating in line with the OECD's guidelines regarding human rights, environment, climate, and anti-corruption. Companies' activities shall not cause, contribute to, or be linked to crimes in these areas.
It is the UN or the EU that decides on the restrictive measures applicable in Sweden. Sweden has no nationally decided restrictive measures. The restrictive measures that exist today in connection with the situation in DRC include an arms embargo, travel restrictions, and freezing of assets.
In March, the EU expanded the sanctions by listing several Rwandan military officers as well as leaders of the rebel group M23 due to the developments in eastern DRC. A Rwandan company that illegally imported gold from eastern DRC was also added to the sanctions list. The EU and its member states are closely monitoring the developments on the ground in eastern DRC and are prepared to act against individuals and companies that commit crimes against human rights and international law or otherwise contribute to continued abuses and hostilities, including through illegal trade and the exploitation of natural resources.
Sweden supports and follows the EU's conflict minerals regulation, which aims to ensure that importers of tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold from conflict-affected areas follow international guidelines for responsible sourcing.
When the interpellator reported that she was prevented from attending the meeting, the first deputy speaker granted that Håkan Svenneling (V) instead was allowed to participate in the interpellation debate.
Håkan Svenneling (V)
Mr. Speaker! The humanitarian situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, also called DRC, is one of the worst in the world and directly affects a quarter of the population. Millions of people are fleeing, and women and children are the hardest hit. The UN and international human rights organizations have repeatedly reported on systematic massacres, ethnically motivated acts of violence, and sexual violence used as a weapon in the conflict. Diseases such as cholera and mpox virus are spreading, and many suffer from hunger and malnutrition.
Rwanda has played a decisive role in the conflict through its support for armed groups in eastern Congo and its systematic looting of the country's natural resources. Several UN reports have highlighted how Rwanda, through its involvement in the conflict, exports conflict minerals that are often linked to serious human rights violations. The EU's and Sweden's trade with Rwanda must therefore be scrutinized carefully to ensure that we do not indirectly contribute to financing the violence and the looting of Congo's resources.
Rwanda is a country with a terrible history. The genocide of 1994 remains clearly in our memory, but of course especially in the memory of all those who live and reside in the Great Lakes region in the heart of Africa. Today's conflicts often have roots back in history, often due to European imperialism.
Since the genocide, Rwanda has had a fantastic reconstruction. With the help of the international community together with local traditions for conflict resolution and accountability, the society has healed and been rebuilt. Rwanda is today in many ways a well-functioning society and a state that is at the forefront in many aspects. The partnership with international partners and countries has been strong for many years.
At the same time, Rwanda is not a full-fledged democracy. Since the genocide, the country has been ruled by a single president, Paul Kagame. Democratic development has stalled, and Rwanda is now exploiting the fact that it has become a stronger actor in the region through its military capacity.
The international responsibility does not stop at Rwanda. There are well-documented examples of European companies profiting, directly or through subcontractors, from the illegal exploitation of minerals in Congo. By purchasing minerals such as gold and cobalt from conflict areas, these companies contribute to financing the continued violence of armed groups, which exacerbates the humanitarian catastrophe. Despite various international initiatives, there are still serious deficiencies in the traceability and control of these supply chains.
Sweden's policy must be clear and consistent when it comes to countering genocide, gross human rights violations, and illegal exploitation of natural resources, regardless of where it occurs in the world. In the same way as trade policy is used to exert pressure in other conflicts, both our own trade as well as the EU's rules and sanctions linked to these issues should be reviewed.
I would like to thank the Minister for the answer. Several parts of it were very good and clear. The questions we are asking from the Left Party's side today are about what can be done to ensure that Sweden does not contribute to the financing of armed groups, whether the government is considering any stricter rules or sanctions against Rwanda and other armed groups, and if the regulatory framework can be strengthened in some way when it comes to trade where there is a risk of contributing to conflicts through illegal exploitation of natural resources. Can it be ensured that Swedish and European companies do not participate in or indirectly finance conflicts in the way there is a risk for in Congo?
Statsrådet Benjamin Dousa (M)
Mr. Speaker! I can begin by saying something brief about what we have done in the area of aid. The Government has tasked Sida with carrying out a review of Sweden's bilateral development cooperation with Rwanda and to not enter into new agreements with Rwandan state actors for the time being. The purpose is, of course, to avoid that aid can be used in a way that contributes to instability or the ongoing conflict in the Great Lakes region. But state actors and civil society organizations working with everything from LGBTQI issues to democracy issues will continue to be able to receive support from Sweden, as usual.
Sweden, together with the EU and like-minded countries, is closely monitoring the developments on the ground in eastern DRC and is prepared to act against both individuals and companies that commit crimes against international law, including human rights.
Håkan Svenneling (V)
Mr. Speaker! It is a welcome announcement from the Minister's side that there is clarity that no new agreements are to be entered into. I hope that at the same time a review of the existing agreements takes place and that their durations are examined and, when there is an opportunity, perhaps agreements that are not suitable to have in the situation we find ourselves in are exited.
It is an incredibly difficult situation, but it is clear that the rest of the world has great opportunities in its relationship with Rwanda. One must remember that there has been a global discussion about deepening cooperation with the Rwandan government even further, and now, thanks to what is happening in eastern Congo, that discussion has stalled. I believe it is sound that people have sobered up a bit and see that there are many good parts of the reconstruction of Rwanda after the genocide, but that Paul Kagame has also held the country in an iron political grip for a long time, even though diversity in its democracy has been strengthened in various ways.
Last year, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation's own State Secretary, Diana Janse, traveled to Rwanda. This was before Benjamin Dousa took office as Minister. In her social media, she wrote about how fantastic the visit was, but in that post, she did not mention by a single word the democratic deficit that prevails in Rwanda or the negative role the country has played in the region with its military and in its support for the rebel group M23. So, I do not think a Swedish government should act. We must have a government that clearly stands up for international law and democracy and is clear towards authoritarian leaders that they do not have a free pass to act however they want.
What is interesting in the case of the relationship between Rwanda and eastern Congo is the trade in natural resources. It is of course not entirely simple to gain control over such a type of trade, but products from Rwanda that do not exist there are being sold and exported. It concerns natural resources that do not exist in the small country of Rwanda but do exist in the significantly larger neighboring country DRK, that is, Congo. The natural resources are taken from eastern Congo by companies that are often Rwandan and exported to an international market. There are several products that we need for our phones and other types of electronics. Therefore, we can be part of supporting these economies.
I want to ask the Minister once again: What can Sweden and the EU do together to get a grip on that trade and ensure that we do not contribute to deepening the conflict that we see in eastern Congo and which risks spreading – we must also be clear about that – in the Great Lakes region in the heart of Africa?
Statsrådet Benjamin Dousa (M)
Mr. Speaker! I believe that in the area of aid, it is important to send the signal that it is not a law of nature that one can receive Swedish tax money regardless of how one behaves. It is important to make a distinction between the support to civil society organizations and the state support.
We hope that the decision the government has made can send a clear signal that Sweden is happy to be involved and help in many African contexts and countries, but that one cannot expect to receive millions of Swedish tax kronor if one also cooperates with and supports forces that destabilize the region or even commit gross crimes against humanity. It is an important first step. It is clear that everything is on the table. It depends partly on the geographical conflict, what happens on the ground, how the cooperation goes, how long the agreements are, and so on. It is something we continuously review in our support to Rwanda.
Regarding the State Secretary's trip to Rwanda, it was partially carried out before the latest conflict broke out. Just as Member of Parliament Svenneling mentioned earlier, one must be able to have two thoughts in one's head at the same time. Rwanda is in many ways a country that has pushed through many reforms in recent decades. It is a better country in many respects – not in all, but in more respects than 10, 15, or 20 years ago. It is a different context these last months than when Diana Janse traveled there.
All in all, this is an issue we follow closely in Sweden, both from a trade policy and an aid policy perspective. It is also, of course, an issue that the EU follows in a very close manner. It is a known problem, just as Member of Parliament Svenneling says, that both processing and export from Rwanda of minerals occur that, in a theoretical sense, one does not know where they come from. But it is clear that one knows where they come from. We must have better control over this together. It is not just a purely international law issue between DRC and Rwanda, but it often concerns people who are subjected to enormous violence on an individual level when minerals are extracted. We must follow this in a close manner.
Håkan Svenneling (V)
Mr. Speaker! I feel that I have achieved a good result from the interpellation by having the discussion place the issue on the Minister's agenda. This is a clear case where it is interesting to look at the Minister's dual portfolios, aid and trade. There are somewhat different tools that can be used in cases like this.
It is important that this is done together with international partners. Sweden should not act alone in a vacuum. There is a clear African leadership trying to solve the region's problems, and we do not need to step in and replace it but rather be a supporting part in the process.
I am very pleased to hear that all possibilities for finding a solution are on the table. It shows that there is a range of measures that can be taken if the situation worsens or alternatively improves in different parts. I think that is important, and it was something I missed in the discussion about Israel's occupation of Palestine, which we had earlier.
I believe I have received answers to many of the questions and thank the minister for the debate.
Statsrådet Benjamin Dousa (M)
Mr. Speaker! I too am grateful for a constructive debate. Unfortunately, we will likely need to return to the issue during the coming weeks and months.
I raised this when I was in Uganda a couple of weeks ago, and we also have close contact with our Nordic and Baltic colleagues as well as the United Kingdom, which is a fairly large donor.
Even though it is not the subject of this specific debate, it is nevertheless important to emphasize what humanitarian need exists in the DRC and the surrounding region. The refugee flows have increased sharply in recent months. It is therefore important that the Swedish support remains large.
In previous debates, we have touched upon the US withdrawal, and one can clearly see the effects of it on the ground in eastern DRC and in the regions where the refugees have taken refuge. Therefore, we will unfortunately certainly have reason to return to the issue.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.