For two weeks, the subject has been fuelling conversations from Matonge to social media. On 14 October, the Belgian judiciary carried out searches in Brussels and in several municipalities of Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant, targeting members of the inner circle of the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Félix Tshisekedi. They are part of a judicial investigation opened following complaints filed in July 2025, concerning in particular suspicions of embezzlement and money laundering.
An essential point: at this stage, this is an investigation. The people concerned are presumed innocent.
“A strong signal” for the complainants
On one side, the collective of Congolese complainants welcomed the searches in a statement issued on 15 October in Brussels. It sees them as an important step towards establishing the truth and upholding victims’ rights, in connection with allegations of the illicit capture of resources belonging to the Congolese people. The complainants say they intend to see the proceedings through and are addressing the people of Katanga in particular.
Indignation among other associations
On the other side, an International Collective of the Congolese Diaspora, which includes Moncongo ASBL, the Ligue des Patriotes Congolais and LISANGA ASBL in Belgium, wrote on 22 October to the King, the Prime Minister, the ministers concerned, federal MPs and Belgium’s ambassador to the DRC to express its indignation. These associations dispute the timing and the method: the searches came two days after former president Joseph Kabila announced a politico-military movement, while the east of the country is torn apart by the conflict with the AFC/M23 rebellion, backed by Rwanda according to Kinshasa and the United Nations. They fear these proceedings could weaken national unity.
The UDPS, Félix Tshisekedi’s party, rejects the accusations and denounces a destabilisation campaign.
Brussels defends the independence of its judiciary
Questioned in the Chamber on 21 October, Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot firmly rejected any political link. He denounced a disinformation campaign that could damage the bilateral relationship and recalled that the judicial process is not subject to any government influence. In Belgium, the separation of powers in fact prohibits the government from directing an investigation.
A community at the heart of Belgian-Congolese relations
According to United Nations data, nearly 89,000 people born in the DRC live in Belgium, not counting their children born here. It is one of the largest Congolese diasporas in the world, and its internal debates often mirror those running through Kinshasa. This case is no exception: between the demand for accountability and the call for unity in the face of war, the community is searching for its voice.
Sources : MediaCongo, Actualite.cd, Migranto (UN DESA data)
Photo: Mellonne / CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
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