Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Maxime Prévot (Les Engagés), has condemned the alliance between the former President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Joseph Kabila, and the M23 rebel movement.
“This is a deeply worrying development which I condemn in the strongest possible terms," said the Belgian Foreign Minsiter. He added that it was "deplorable, incomprehensible and unacceptable" that Joseph Kabila, a former head of state who had witnessed the impact of armed rebellions, has supported a political-military movement seeking to gain power through force instead of democratic elections.
Joseph Kabila, now an opposition figure facing the death penalty for treason, has taken the helm of the Front pour la Refondation de la Nation (RFN), a new political-military movement that includes the M23.
The announcement of the alliance was no surprise, given the contacts the former president had with the rebel movement active in the east of the DRC. The Foreign Ministry is monitoring the situation closely, but so far no fundamental changes have been observed on the ground.
