DRC President Felix Tshisekedi is under enomous pressure
KINSHASA — The Democratic Republic of Congo has barred members of President Félix Tshisekedi’s office and government from direct or indirect contact with the Belgian Embassy in Kinshasa, according to a circular issued by the presidency.
The directive, signed on 15 October by Anthony Nkinzo Kamole, the president’s chief of staff, orders cabinet members to avoid contact with the embassy and its diplomatic and administrative staff “until further notice.”
The circular, numbered 26/004, does not give a reason for the decision. It was issued a day after Belgian police conducted searches at properties in Brussels and surrounding areas linked to relatives and associates of Tshisekedi as part of a money-laundering investigation.
The restriction covers deputy chiefs of staff, special advisers, coordinators of specialised services, principal advisers and other advisers. It also applies to officials responsible for the president’s personal services and private office.
Under the directive, any contact considered necessary must be justified, authorised in advance and conducted exclusively through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in line with diplomatic procedures.
Anyone who violates the instruction faces appropriate administrative and disciplinary sanctions, the circular states.
A copy of the document was reportedly sent to Tshisekedi and the secretary-general of the presidency for information.
Belgian investigation
The directive comes amid a money-laundering investigation in Belgium linked to complaints filed in 2025 by non-governmental organisations over alleged irregularities involving mining revenues in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Belgian police carried out searches on 14 October in Brussels and surrounding areas. The investigation concerns allegations that funds derived from Congolese mining revenues were laundered, with claims involving individuals connected to the president’s circle. The allegations remain subject to investigation.
Belgian authorities have not publicly identified all the people targeted by the searches. The Congolese presidency had not publicly linked the police operation to the circular at the time of reporting.
A source within the presidency told Actualite.cd that the restriction had no connection to the searches and was intended to ensure that official communications with foreign diplomatic missions went through the appropriate government channel. That explanation was not included in the circular itself.
No announcement of diplomatic break
The measure is limited to members of the presidential cabinet acting in their official capacity. It does not impose a blanket ban on all Congolese government officials dealing with Belgium, nor does it prohibit every form of engagement between the two countries.
The circular also does not announce the closure of the Belgian Embassy or a suspension of diplomatic relations between Kinshasa and Brussels. Official communication deemed necessary can continue through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, subject to prior authorisation.
The reasons for the directive remain unclear, leaving its possible implications for relations between the two countries uncertain.
