Brussels defends case against DRC minister

Belgium said this week that an international warrant issued by a Brussels court for the arrest of the Congolese foreign minister on charges of inciting ethnic hatred should not be interpreted as a hostile political act against the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In a statement on Monday, the Belgian foreign ministry said: "The Belgian government wishes to reaffirm that this is not an unfriendly political gesture towards Congo. Belgium, to the contrary, wants to maintain its constructive relationship with Congo despite the judicial process involving the Minister of State Yerodia Abdoulaye Ndombasi." It also said that because of the separation of judicial and executive powers in Belgium, the government did not have the right to get involved in the matter. The statement recalled that on 3 July, an international warrant for Yerodia's arrest had been issued following petitions by 16 complainants to the high court in Brussels on 11 April.