The Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Christian Ndongala Nkuku, urged Belgium on Wednesday to act "firmly and promptly" to restore peace in the east of the country.
Speaking before the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Chamber of Representatives, the ambassador asked Belgian authorities to leverage their influence within the European Union to revoke military and economic cooperation agreements with Rwanda.
Fighting continues in Goma, the main city in Eastern DRC, which is largely occupied by the armed rebel group M23 and the Rwandan army. The rebels have announced their intention to advance further into Congolese territory.
The ambassador condemned a "deliberate and methodical aggression against a sovereign country" and described the situation as "an unprecedented tragedy."
He stated that "it is clear that this crisis is directly linked to the economic plundering of our country, orchestrated by Rwanda."
Ndongala Nkuku urged Belgium to take concrete action in response to the catastrophic humanitarian situation, including "decisive and immediate" measures. He called on Belgian authorities to demand an end to hostilities and the "immediate withdrawal" of Rwandan troops from the DRC.
The diplomat also called for an EU embargo on the import of minerals labelled as Rwandan, particularly cotton and gold, "to end the illegal exploitation of natural resources which are fuelling the war."
Additionally, the ambassador requested Belgium to use its influence within the EU to revoke military and economic cooperation agreements with Rwanda. He suggested the implementation of a systematic notification regime for all arms sales to Rwanda by the international community.
"The world is watching you; it is time to act," emphasised Ndongala Nkuku.
