This week, in the ongoing war between the Congolese native movement of M23 and the Congolese army FARDC and its coalition of FDLR, Burundians, Wazalendo, SADC, and mercenaries, the M23 captured the territory of Nyanzale which was a headquarter of FDLR. The capture of Nyanzale interestingly saddened Belgium government at the extent of issuing a statement condemning M23.
The Belgium Minister of Foreign Affairs Hadja Lahbib on her ‘X’ platform formerly known as Twitter, she denounced the fall of Nyanzale saying “I denounce and condemn the continuation of violence in the east of the DRC and the impact on civilians, such as Nyanzale.”
Observers and analysts flocked to her account and asked why Belgium was saddened by the fall of the Headquarters of FDLR, prompting to question underliying interest Belgium has in supporting FDLR. But to many that can’t be a surprise because Belgium is a country that has supported the genocidaires for the last 3 decades.
On February 9th this year, the same Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, via its Instagram account had called the Congolese government to cease all collaboration with the FDLR. She also urged an end to hate messages and calls for violence against Tutsis, now she has changed the narrative a few days after the visit of Tshisekedi to Belgium.
Nyanzale was the headquarters of FDLR for over 25 years, the last time they were dislodged there was in 2019, at the time their then long-standing overall military commander Lt.-Gen. Sylvestre Mudacumura (nicknamed Gen Kiyiko) was killed. 4 years prior to that, Ladislas Ntaganzwa, another génocidaire on US ‘s most wanted list , had been apprehended a few miles from where his commander was going to meet the FDLR offiacials in Nyanzale.
After the death of Mudacumura, FDLR-FOCA returned to its Headquarters in Nyanzale, with the dissaproval of local authorities and the DRC army until when M23 ousted them again the day before yesterday.
Nyanzale was also an environment that facilitated the FDLR to traffic their agricultural products like cannabis that they cultivated in the villages around Nyanzale.
Today, the world is witnessing acts of inhumane such as cannibalism, raping of women,killing innocent Congolese Tutsi and Hema on top of spreading of hate speech. Statement of the belgian foreign affairs Minister are to say the least disdainful knowing very well her country’s role in destabilizing the Great Lakes region.
Belgium as a country that knows better than anyone the root cause of the conflict in eastern DRC is silent and their concern is about the fall of Nyanzale
What a shame.
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