Belgium is ready to consider individual sanctions, within a European framework, declared its Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, during talks on Wednesday in Brussels with the Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi.

Alexander De Croo responded to his counterpart who had called for pressure to be put on Rwanda to stop its support of the M23 rebellion.

"We are asking Rwanda to stop its support for the M23 and its presence on Congolese territory," he stated, before making this appeal: "However, the DRC must also show, on its part, that it is not supporting other militias. What is important for us is that the fighting stops. This conflict has gone on for too long and has claimed too many victims."

Sanctions to push back Paul Kagame

Speaking about the EU-Rwanda Memorandum of Understanding on critical raw materials, the Belgian statesman emphasized that "This 'Memorandum of Understanding' comes at the wrong time. We have indicated this to the European Commission."

For Félix Tshisekedi, sanctions are "the only thing that can push back the dictator Paul Kagame. It's always possible to do more, but Belgium is doing something, that’s already something."

Boni Tsala