Monday’s meeting of European Union foreign ministers continues to fuel debate. While the situation in the eastern DRC was at the center of discussions, the European ministers decided to suspend defense consultations with Rwanda, also promising to re-examine the memorandum on the raw materials value chain.
For many observers, the meeting was a disappointment, given that a few days earlier, MEPs had called for European sanctions against Kigali. The issue was raised at the meeting, but was vetoed by Luxembourg. Sanctions are expected to target M23 leaders as well as senior Rwandan officials.
At the EU, restricted topics such as foreign policy, common security, citizenship, accession and the financing of the Union are considered “sensitive” and require a unanimous vote. Luxembourg’s opposition thus blocked the sanctions machine, sparking indignation.
In Luxembourg, Minister Xavier Bettel is now in the hot seat. According to his office, the veto was decided to “await the results of African mediation efforts”. Not a convincing explanation. On Tuesday, MP David Wagner sent a question to his minister to clarify Luxembourg’s position on the issue of the eastern DRC, where “Rwanda [has] deployed troops” in support of the rebels and is “thus openly violating international law”.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Denis Mukwege, for his part, deplored Luxembourg’s stance in blocking the EU sanctions machine via a tweet, while the USA and Great Britain have already taken a first step. Meanwhile, Xavier Bettel’s X account has been invaded by Congolese who now accuse him of complicity with Kigali, going so far as to hold up old photos of him and Kagame smiling in Kigali.
Infos.cd
