DRC: Open letter to His Excellency Mr. Alexander De Croo, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Belgium

DRC: Open letter to His Excellency Mr. Alexander De Croo, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Belgium

ByThe Mwebantu Team

By Irène Kamanzi, President Isôko Europe

Object : Statement of February 9, 2024 from your government on the violence in eastern DR Congo

We, the Tutsi refugees welcomed and living in Belgium, united within the Isôko Europe Association, express our deep gratitude to your government for its recent declaration concerning the violence in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, made by your Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Hadja Lahbib, February 9, 2024. We would like to express our encouragement for this noble attitude.

Excellency Mr Prime Minister,

We would like to draw your attention to the following points in order to contribute to sustainable and just solutions:

Government visit to Congo: now the results must follow (De Croo)

  1. We seek clarification of Belgium’s position as a former colonial power in the African Great Lakes region, particularly with regard to its legacy and its impact on current borders.

  2. We urge your government to take an official position on the Congolese citizenship of Rwandan-speaking populations living in DR Congo in order to clarify their legal status. We strongly encourage efforts aimed at promoting peaceful coexistence and respect for difference between all components of the population in DR Congo.

  3. We demand unequivocal condemnation of the acts of violence perpetrated against the Tutsi of Kivu, the Banyamulenge and the Hema of Ituri, as well as the indiscriminate bombings against civilian populations by the Congolese government and its allies. We call for a response that respects human rights.

  4. We support the establishment of a special jurisdiction so that those responsible for the massacres assume their responsibilities and that legal measures are taken to counter hate speech, including at high levels of Congolese power, in order to prevent the spread of genocidal ideology. Thus, the ” Never again “ will also have meaning for the populations of eastern DR Congo.


Please accept, Excellency the Prime Minister, the expression of our recognition and our commitment to lasting peace and equitable justice.

Respectfully

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The Mwebantu Team
The Mwebantu Team

Led by Nia, the insightful editor-in-chief, Kwame, our technology expert, and Amara, the bold field reporter, the Mwebantu team weaves the vibrant narrative of Africa every day, forging a narrative bridge between the continent and the world. Their shared passion illuminates the mission of Mwebantu News, making African voices resonate on the global stage.