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The Minister Delegate in charge of Congolese Abroad, Emmanuel Ilunga Ngoyi Kasongo, sent a message to the embbadies of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) asking them to apply the same measure as the embbadies of France and Belgium in Kinshasa, which no longer grant humanitarian visas or medical care to Congolese nationals since the closure of the Schengen House – ordered by the government of Kinshasa – learned Thursday the agency Belga.
"It is noted that unequivocally "that these embbadies no longer issue such visas, wrote Ilunga in a message dated Tuesday, July 24, addressed to all embbadies of the DRC abroad.
" For this purpose, he all our diplomatic representations are asked to apply the same provisions to their nationals by principle of reciprocity ", adds the Minister in this message circulating on the network. The 1965 Schengen House – a sort of European consulate managed by Belgium – suspended all its activities after the decision of its closure by the Congolese government on January 24 in the context of yet another diplomatic crisis between the DRC and its former colonial power
Mr. Ilunga's letter comes as Philippe Bronchain, Chargé d'affaires of Belgium in Kinshasa, acts as chief of post after the recall in Brussels last January of Ambbadador Bertrand de Crombrugghe of Piquendaele reported last week on a "dialogue" between the two countries to overcome their differences.
"In terms of diplomatic relations now, the channels of communication between Belgium and the RDC remain wide open and a dialogue is underway. Belgium hopes that it will lead to possible solutions to the problems posed by the cessation of activities of the Schengen House, the closure of the Consulates General of Lubumbashi and Antwerp, the reduction of frequencies of Brussels Airlines. The modus operandi of Enabel (the development agency, ed) in the DRC can also be discussed, "said Bronchain in a speech on Saturday Kinshasa on the occasion of the Belgian National Day.
Relations between Brussels and Kinshasa deteriorated at the beginning of the year, when the Belgian government decided "a fundamental revision" of cooperation with the Congolese authorities until "the organization of credible elections" in the DRC.
In retaliation , the Congolese government ordered Belgium to close its consulate general in Lubumbashi, the capital of the province of Haut-Katanga (south-east), to end the activities of its new development agency (Enabel) and close the Schengen House in Kinshasa. The Brussels Airlines air frequencies have also been reduced from seven weekly flights to four.
Kinshasa had previously suspended Belgian-Congolese military cooperation.
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