Belgium has reiterated it’s support for the Doha and Washington Peace Agreements but is concerned about their slow implementation.
Maxime Prévot, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs said Wednesday that the persistence of insecurity in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was a major concern.
Maxime Prévot stressed the need to preserve the negotiation frameworks and ensure full and good-faith implementation of the commitments made by the parties.
“Despite the situation on the ground and the slow progress of the Doha and Washington processes, they have the merit of existing and offering a framework for exchange accepted by all parties,” Maxime Prévot said.
He added that further meetings were planned for October and November within the framework of these two processes.
He also welcomed the recent steps taken by the African Union co-facilitators, who traveled to Kinshasa, Goma, and Kigali to contribute to the mediation efforts.
For Maxime Prévot, the existence of these mechanisms represents a diplomatic achievement, even if their progress remains slow in the face of the security situation in the east of the country.
“In other conflict situations, let’s remember, this framework doesn’t even exist,” he noted.
Maxime Prévot also announced that he would continue consultations with his counterparts in the region, the European Union, and the countries involved in mediation efforts.
However, the Belgian minister warned against any attempt that could derail the negotiations, reaffirming Brussels’ willingness to contribute to diplomatic efforts to find a solution to the conflict in eastern DRC.
