Rwanda’s President, Paul Kagame, has stated that South Africa and certain European countries are the primary beneficiaries of mineral extraction in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), not Rwanda.
President Kagame made these remarks on February 3, 2025, during an interview with CNN, where he addressed accusations that Rwanda illegally extracts minerals from the DRC.
When theCNN journalist questioned whether Rwanda sources coltan from the DRC, Kagame firmly denied the claim, stating that Rwanda has its own mining sites where it extracts these minerals.
“I invite you to come and see where we mine coltan in Rwanda,” Kagame told the journalist, offering a direct challenge to those making the allegations.
When pressed further on whether Rwanda exploits other minerals from the DRC, as frequently claimed by officials in Kinshasa, Kagame dismissed the notion. Instead, he pointed to South Africa and European countries as the real profiteers from Congolese minerals.
“I don’t know anything about that because it is not an issue for me. Those who benefit the most from DRC’s minerals are South Africa and European countries, not Rwanda,” Kagame responded.
The Rwandan government has consistently emphasized that the country possesses 112 million tons of various mineral deposits beneath its soil, valued at $154 billion. Furthermore, research is still ongoing to uncover more mineral reserves.
A 2017 study identified 52 mineral-rich sites across Rwanda, 37 of which have already been exploited, while 10 remain untapped.
Currently, Rwanda boasts several mineral processing plants, including gold and coltan refineries, further reinforcing its capability to mine and refine its own resources.
