By RFIPalled on 20-09-2019Modified on 20-09-2019 at 07:57

On the evening of Thursday, 19 September, at 18:00 in Brussels, after the end of the official visit of Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi to Belgium, an additional step was added, namely a meeting with the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker. Having reopened the Schengen House (now known as the European Visa Center) and allowing the return of the European ambassador to Kinshasa gave the EU security. The two men mainly discussed the revival of cooperation between Europe and the DRC, even if the issue of European sanctions against the DRC is present in all minds.

With our Brussels office,

In its assessment of the meeting of Jean-Claude Juncker with Felix Tshisekedi , the European Commission ignores the issue of sanctions. Since 2005, the EU has gradually begun to implement economic sanctions : some 60 Congolese, companies and political movements have their holdings in Europe frozen.

unanimity

In the list, fourteen people are also banned from entering Europe. But the European Commission has recalled that this question depends on the twenty-eight capitals of EU states that have until the end of December to vote unanimously to extend or erase these sanctions.

Need for better governance

But even if this question remains unresolved, the visit of Felix Tshisekedi marks the normalization of relations between the EU and the Democratic Republic of Congo. From the European point of view, this has sent the message of the need for better governance of the country and its economy, increased humanitarian action to continue to fight against Ebola.

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