Africa-Press – Rwanda. <\/strong><\/span>The crisis in eastern DR Congo is one of those tragedies that feels like it\u2019s stuck on repeat. And yet, here we are, witnessing a new chapter of chaos where the players and motives remain largely unchanged. While everyone claims to be working for peace, some actors seem more invested in finger-pointing than in finding solutions. Enter Belgium\u2014and its Foreign Minister Maxime Pre\u0301vot\u2014with what can only be described as a masterclass in diplomatic doublespeak.<\/p>\nPre\u0301vot\u2019s recent visit to Africa, framed as a mission to promote dialogue and peace, comes off as tone-deaf at best and hypocritical at worst. According to Belgium\u2019s FPS Foreign Affairs, the minister is there to encourage “respect for dialogue and silence the weapons.” It sounds noble on paper. But let\u2019s not kid ourselves: Belgium\u2019s position in this crisis has been anything but neutral. For three years, it has tacitly supported Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi\u2019s reckless policies, policies that have dragged the region deeper into conflict. To now preach respect for international law and human rights feels almost insulting to anyone paying attention.<\/p>\n
Take, for example, Belgium\u2019s repeated accusations against Rwanda. Pre\u0301vot has gone to great lengths to portray Kigali as the villain, accusing it of violating territorial integrity and plundering minerals. This narrative conveniently ignores the Congolese government\u2019s provocations. Tshisekedi has publicly declared his intent to destabilize Rwanda\u2014a statement so brazen it\u2019s hard to believe it didn\u2019t make more waves internationally. Add to that the frequent shelling of Rwandan territory by Congolese forces, airspace violations, and the arming of FDLR\u2014a group notorious for its role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and ongoing destabilization efforts. How does Belgium reconcile these realities with its supposed neutrality? The answer is simple: it doesn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
Consider what happened earlier this year. Late February saw an assault launched from Goma targeting the Rwandan border city of Rubavu.<\/p>\n
The operation involved a staggering coalition of Congolese forces, FDLR militias, foreign mercenaries, and even troops from neighbouring countries. The attack left over a dozen Rwandans dead, hundreds injured, and significant property damaged. Predictably, this provoked a response from the AFC\/M23, a group that has long been vilified but whose grievances, including the safety and repatriation of Congolese refugees, have been ignored for decades. Yet, Pre\u0301vot and his ilk remain fixated on Rwanda\u2019s supposed aggression, conveniently sidestepping Kinshasa\u2019s role in fanning the flames.<\/p>\n
But Belgium\u2019s counterproductive influence doesn\u2019t stop there.<\/p>\n
Brussels has also misled the European Union, dragging it into a collective anti-Rwanda stance. By flaming Rwanda as the primary antagonist in the DR Congo crisis, Belgium has steered EU policy in a direction that undermines constructive engagement. A particularly baffling example of this is Belgium\u2019s opposition to European support for Rwanda\u2019s anti-terrorism efforts in Mozambique. Rwanda\u2019s interventions there have been widely recognized as effective, yet Belgium\u2019s stance seems driven more by a remotely controlled agenda from Kinshasa than rational analysis. This isn\u2019t just about Belgium anymore; it\u2019s about how the EU, as a whole, risks becoming an irrelevant actor in resolving the DR Congo crisis.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s most striking is how irrelevant Belgium\u2019s posturing has become. While Pre\u0301vot tours Africa, wagging his finger at Kigali, serious actors like Qatar and the United States are doing the real work. Their Joint Declaration, signed in Washington, tackles the root causes of the conflict: security, territorial integrity, refugee repatriation, and adherence to international law. This is the kind of balanced approach the region needs. By comparison, Belgium\u2019s actions feel like a relic of a colonial mindset\u2014paternalistic, out of touch, and fundamentally unhelpful. And with the EU now tethered to Belgium\u2019s misguided policies, its credibility and relevance in Central Africa are equally at risk.<\/p>\n
At this point, Belgium\u2019s relevance in the DR Congo crisis is almost negligible. Pre\u0301vot can deliver as many statements as he likes, but without acknowledging the full scope of the conflict\u2019s complexities, he\u2019s just adding noise to an already chaotic situation.<\/p>\n
If anything, Belgium\u2019s finger-pointing only deepens mistrust and complicates efforts to find a resolution.<\/p>\n
And, unless the EU charts an independent and rational course, it too will be sidelined in favour of actors who prioritize real solutions over political posturing.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s time for Belgium\u2014and by extension, the EU\u2014to take a hard look at its approach.<\/p>\n
Empty platitudes about peace and human rights won\u2019t cut it.<\/p>\n
The Great Lakes region needs honest brokers\u2014countries willing to engage with all sides and address the root causes of instability. Until Belgium steps up, or steps aside, its role will remain what it\u2019s been for the past three years: counterproductive and irrelevant.<\/p>\n
Source: The New Times<\/b><\/p>\n
For More News And Analysis About Rwanda<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Albert Rudatsimburwa Africa-Press – Rwanda. The crisis in eastern DR Congo is one of those tragedies that feels like it\u2019s stuck on repeat. And yet, here we are, witnessing a new chapter of chaos where the players and motives remain largely unchanged. While everyone claims to be working for peace, some actors seem more invested […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":100095,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,761],"tags":[1228,758],"class_list":["post-100096","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-files","tag-belgium","tag-rwanda"],"yoast_head":"\n
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