Human Rights-Based Ethics of European Union international cooperation: the case study of the Memorandum EU-Rwanda and the DR Congo

The resource curse dilemma is the paradox that arises when a country is rich in natural resources yet, simultaneously, its population is among the poorest in the world. This situation originates from deliberate and direct intervention by external agents, who deprive the state of its right to utilize its territory’s resources and prevent its population from benefiting from the associated advantages. Consequently, this scenario raises profound ethical and moral questions, challenging collective conscience. In this thesis, starting from a trade agreement concluded between the European Union and Rwanda in 2024, known as the Memorandum of Understanding on Sustainable Raw Materials Value Chains, which facilitates the trade of so-called critical minerals to the European Union, the underlying motivations that produce this dilemma in the contemporary context will be explored. The central issue of this agreement lies in the fact that the critical minerals do not originate from Rwanda itself but from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo. Paramilitary groups supported by Rwanda in eastern DRC endanger local inhabitants and their extractive activities are associated with numerous human rights violations. In this thesis the historical and economic relationships among the key actors involved will be examined in detail, and the subsequent ethical analysis would aim to denounce the unacceptable nature of this exploitative framework taking into consideration modern theories of the Human Rights-Based Approach, the Capabilities Approach and the Right to Development. It will be emphasised that the roles of national, regional and international institutions are critical in the 21st century for ensuring the respect, promotion, and protection of human rights.