United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa)
Eoin Young
22 April 2008
A Belgian ministerial delegation, comprising of Foreign Affairs Minister Karel de Gucht, Cooperation Minister Charles Michel and Defence Minister Pieter de Crem are in the DRC for a one week mission. In a press conference in Kinshasa on Monday 21 April 2008, Ministers de Gucht and Michel explained that they were on a diplomatic, humanitarian and military assistance mission to the DRC.
Minister de Gucht said that the aim of the visit is "to have a clear view on the most recent political developments in Kinshasa, and to look at the evolution of international involvement in the DRC, for example in the mining sector."
Minister Michel explained that the visit was "to indicate that central Africa, and especially Congo, remains an extremely important political priority for Belgium."
"It's also to show the will of the Belgian government to speak with one voice and to have a comprehensive approach within the framework of foreign affairs policy, development cooperation and military cooperation," he added.
During their visit, the Belgian ministers will also go to the provinces, where they will "discover, listen and take the temperature", as well as "observe the progress of Belgium-DRC cooperation projects, vis-à-vis a better harmonization of aid, aid efficiencies and deficiencies and the speeding up of aid procedures in a partnership with the Congolese authorities."
Furthermore, Minister Michel stressed that in development cooperation, "it is necessary to support private enterprise, without that there is no development. The private sector must have confidence to be an engine of development."
For Minister de Gucht, "the mining sector is key for the rehabilitation of Congo."
"The Congolese state should obtain the revenues from taxes in this sector. The revision of the mining contracts and the development of the infrastructure with Chinese cooperation constitute the evolution of Congo."
On Monday 21 April, the Belgian delegation met some of their DRC counterparts, including the respective Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Defence, Finance, Industry, Planning and the Vice Minister of Mines.
They later spoke with President Kabila on Monday evening, and on Tuesday were scheduled to go to Lubumbashi to look at the state of the mining sector in Katanga, as well as to look at artisanal mining in the province.
Other important themes for the Belgian ministerial delegation are the reform of the security sector, the follow up of the Goma Acts of Engagement, the fight against sexual violence and impunity and support for the upcoming local elections.
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