After visiting Uganda and Burundi, Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxime Prévot, concluded his tour in the Great Lakes region with a visit to the DRC. There, he urged Congo’s leaders to remain vigilant, even though recent talks have raised hopes for ceasefire negotiations.
On Monday, April 28, in Kinshasa, he met with Congo’s Prime Minister, Judith Suminwa, and later with President Félix Tshisekedi, discussing the ongoing tensions with Rwanda.
In the final leg of his Great Lakes tour in Kinshasa, the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs also spoke with these leaders about the war in eastern DRC, as reported by RFI.
Although he had previously praised the initiatives from Qatar and the United States — which made it possible to reach some understanding between Kinshasa and the M23 rebels on one side, and between Kinshasa and Kigali on the other — Maxime Prévot used his visit to the Congolese capital to reiterate his call for caution.
He said: “It’s essential to remain vigilant about the actions initiated by Doha and Washington. While we welcome how this process has been received, we hope to be able to measure tangible outcomes in the coming days or weeks, to ensure that if a path has been paved, it will continue to be followed… and that the final objective will be achieved.”
He added: “I also called for attention to be given to the bishops’ proposal.”
While other international actors seek to protect their own interests, Brussels does not wish to “exploit” Congo’s resources, Maxime Prévot insisted, urging President Tshisekedi not to overlook domestic measures in resolving the country’s issues.
“We all know it’s important to deliver results and support grassroots dialogues, which will help resolve conflicts and bring peace. So, I called for attention and consideration for the bishops’ initiative in using various political forces gathered around the table.”
This comes at a time when the Catholic bishops are in Doha, where they’ve been received by Qatar’s Foreign Minister.
