DRC: Belgian Foreign Minister meets Tshisekedi

After Uganda and Burundi, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Prévot concluded his tour of the Great Lakes region in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

On Monday, April 28, in Kinshasa, he met Congolese Prime Minister Judith Suminwa and President Félix Tshisekedi. Their discussions focused, among other things, on the current crisis with Rwanda.

During his last visit to Kinshasa, the Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs discussed the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo with Prime Minister Judith Suminwa and President Félix Tshisekedi.

Although he welcomed the efforts of Qatar and the United States, which led to an agreement in principle between Kinshasa and the M23 rebels on the one hand, and between Kinshasa and Kigali on the other, Maxime Prévot also took this opportunity to stress the need to remain vigilant.

"We must be cautious about the steps taken by Doha and Washington. While we welcome these initiatives with optimism, it is essential to assess the tangible results that could emerge in the coming days or weeks.

This will ensure that, even if a path has been opened, it will continue to be followed, without major obstacles, to achieve the desired objective," he stressed.

Maxime Prévot emphasized that, unlike other international actors who adopt a "more transactional approach" in their diplomacy, Brussels has no intention of "draining" the resources of the Democratic Republic of Congo. He also encouraged President Tshisekedi not to ignore domestic initiatives in crisis resolution.