A complaint was filed in Belgium on Tuesday, implicating nine members of the entourage of the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Félix Tshisekedi. The first lady, along with brothers, sons, cousins, and a sister-in-law of the head of state, are accused of being “co-perpetrators and accomplices in acts of corruption and other criminal offenses” related to mining.
The legal action was initiated by several non-governmental organizations from Katanga and four former directors of Gécamines, the state-owned mining company. They are represented by Belgian lawyers Bernard and Brieuc Maingain, who submitted the file to the federal prosecutor, Ann Fransen.
According to the plaintiffs, the complaint filed in Brussels specifically targets individuals who, due to their Belgian nationality or ties to Belgium, can be prosecuted in the country’s courts. They emphasize that this group represents only a fraction of the actors involved in what they describe as the “pillage” of Katanga’s mining resources.
This legal action could be just the first step. One of the plaintiffs indicated that “other complaints could soon be filed in other countries that are home to other looters of our wealth,” suggesting a possible internationalization of the case.
RTBF
