DR Congo: Maxime Prévot urges caution following agreements in principle
After visiting Uganda and Burundi, Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxime Prévot, concluded his diplomatic tour of the Great Lakes region with a visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
On Monday, April 28, in Kinshasa, he met with Prime Minister Judith Suminwa and later with President Félix Tshisekedi. Discussions focused mainly on the ongoing crisis between the DRC and Rwanda, as well as the security situation in the eastern part of the country.
While welcoming the efforts by Qatar and the United States that led to preliminary agreements between Kinshasa and the M23 rebels, as well as with Kigali, the Belgian foreign minister called for vigilance. “We must remain cautious about the initiatives from Doha and Washington. While they offer some hope, they must now deliver concrete results within a short timeframe,” he stated.
Maxime Prévot also emphasized the difference in approach between Brussels and certain international actors, asserting that Belgium does not practice “transactional diplomacy” nor seeks to “plunder” Congolese resources. He further encouraged President Tshisekedi to take into account local dynamics and initiatives when managing national crises.
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