At the beginning of 2025, the Belgian government spearheaded a campaign urging European Union member states and other wealthy nations to impose sanctions on Rwanda, accusing Kigali of supporting M23.
Prévot, who also serves as Deputy Prime Minister, argued at the time that sanctions would pressure Rwanda to 'withdraw its troops' from eastern Congo. In his view, such punitive measures, which also extended to some leaders of the AFC/M23, could end the decades-long conflict in the DRC once and for all.
This stance led Rwanda in March 2025 to sever ties with Belgium, accusing the former colonial power of pitiful attempts to sustain its neocolonial delusions.
However, in a recent interview with Jeune Afrique, Minister Prévot acknowledged that dialogue is the only path to resolving the conflict. This position echoes Rwanda's consistent call for the Congolese government to engage in direct talks with M23 instead of shifting the blame.
Asked why his government no longer views sanctions as a viable solution, Prévot explained that although they may exert pressure on targeted individuals or entities, sanctions are not a 'miracle cure' for ending conflicts like the one in eastern Congo.
"What seems important to us is to be able to respond to the humanitarian emergency, knowing that the diplomatic resolution of the conflict is now in the hands of Qatar and the
United States," he stated.
The Belgian minister added that his country would not interfere with the peace initiative led by the United States and Qatar. He warned, however, that if fighting resumes in the DRC and more cities fall, Belgium could renew its call for punitive measures.
"These are processes that we must support, not interfere with. Only if they were to fail or if military logic took over again, with, for example, new captures of cities, could the question of sanctions arise again," he added.
IGIHE
