Belgium wants EU to reconsider partnership with Rwanda
Belgium wants the EU to review its partnership with Rwanda following the capture of Goma in eastern Congo by the M23 rebel movement. Foreign minister Bernard Quintin made the call on Wednesday during a visit to Morocco. He described the capture of Goma as "unacceptable".
"We know that the M23 would not have been able to do this without the full support of the Rwandan troops," Quintin said alongside Moroccan Foreign minister Nasser Bourita. "This is a serious violation of international law and of the territorial integrity of the DRC."
Quintin had already expressed the need for action against Rwanda during a meeting with his European counterparts in Brussels on Monday. "We have levers and we have to decide how to use them," he said on Wednesday. Diplomatic sources say several options are on the table, including sanctions against individuals.
"We have levers and we have to decide how to use them"
Suspending last year's memorandum of understanding on sustainable raw materials value chains is one possibility. According to Kinshasa, the EU is complicit in the plundering of Congolese mineral resources because the agreement covers minerals that are abundant in eastern Congo but scarce in Rwanda.
Suspending European support for the Rwandan army as part of a mission in Mozambique would also be an option. In November, the EU decided to give Rwanda 20 million euros to finance the presence of Rwandan soldiers in the Cabo Delgado province.
Foreign minister Bernard Quintin in Rabat during a mission to Morocco, 29 January 2025 © BELGA PHOTO BENOIT DOPPAGNE
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