Belgium wants the EU to review its partnership with Rwanda following the capture of Goma in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by the M23 rebel movement.
Outgoing Foreign Affairs Minister Bernard Quintin (MR) 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 Affairs 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 must decide how to use them," he said on Wednesday. Diplomatic sources say several options are on the table, including sanctions against individuals.
One possibility is suspending last year's Memorandum of Understanding signed between the EU and Rwanda on Sustainable Raw Materials Value Chains. According to Kinshasa, the EU is complicit in the plundering of Congolese mineral resources because the agreement covers minerals that are abundant in Eastern DRC but scarce in Rwanda.
Another option is suspending European support for the Rwandan army as part of a mission in Mozambique. Last November, the EU decided to give Rwanda €20 million worth of funds to finance the presence of Rwandan soldiers in the Cabo Delgado province.
