Félix Tshisekedi had a one-on-one meeting with the Belgian Prime Minister, whose country is assuming the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union. According to the Congolese Presidency, relations with the European Union are also at the heart of the discussions between Félix Tshisekedi and the Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo. Indeed, Belgium holds the six-month rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

"Besides the tête-à-tête this morning, the Congolese President and his guest will hold a working session with their respective delegations," emphasizes the same source via their account X.

Kinshasa, which still accuses Rwanda of plundering the minerals of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, reacted strongly after the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Rwanda and the European Union on critical minerals, particularly coltan.

On the 21st of February, the Congolese Foreign Affairs Minister, Christophe Lutundula, had already set the tone by denouncing this memorandum of understanding on "sustainable value chains for raw materials." The head of Congolese diplomacy had considered that this protocol "encourages the looting of Congolese natural resources by Rwanda."

The following day, Thursday, February 22, during a special briefing in front of the local press, Felix Tshisekedi did not mince words: "The EU is very misguided, because it is as if they are waging war by proxy against us.” Tshisekedi was surprised by a European Union that preaches but sets a bad example. "They who wanted to come and monitor our elections here to say who won, who lost. Who give us lectures all day long on respecting human rights are now setting the worst example possible," he stated. He had promised to protest by using diplomatic and also legal means to have this "outrage" annulled.

Dido Nsapu