Belgium welcomes agreement between DRC and M23 to work towards ceasefire
Belgian Foreign minister Maxime Prévot welcomes the agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 rebels to work towards a ceasefire, he said on Thursday ahead of his visit to Central Africa.
On Wednesday evening, the DRC government and M23 jointly announced their intention to work towards a ceasefire following Qatar-brokered talks on the conflict in eastern Congo. Since January, M23 rebels have seized large swathes of territory, including the cities of Goma and Bukavu, but the offensive now appears to have come to a halt.
"Belgium encourages the parties to the conflict to respect their commitments, to engage in dialogue and to silence the guns," said Prévot, who will visit Uganda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo from Friday.
Crucial step
According to Prévot, the truce is a crucial step towards ending the violence. During his upcoming trip, he will express his full support for the efforts facilitated by Qatar and the regional organisations EAC and SADC, which have joined forces to restore peace and stability.
Prévot will meet with "the highest authorities" in the countries he will be visiting and also "wants to listen to what's happening on the ground", he said on Wednesday.
Diplomatic ties
The situation in eastern Congo, which is rich in rare minerals, has been unstable for years, but violence has escalated sharply in recent months following the offensive by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels.
The DRC has for years called on Europe, and Belgium in particular, to sanction Paul Kagame's regime. In March, Rwanda unilaterally cut diplomatic ties with Belgium, accusing its former colonial ruler of undermining its sovereignty and pushing for international sanctions.
M23 rebels stand guard as a convoy of Rwandan soldiers arrives at the main border crossing between DR Congo and Rwanda in Goma on 1 March 2025 © PHOTO JOSPIN MWISHA / AFP
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