All planned travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is discouraged amid ongoing violence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Wednesday.
Since Monday, violence has taken over the Congolese city of Goma following its seizure by the Rwanda-backed rebel group M23, escalating an ongoing conflict. On Tuesday, several embassies in the Congolese capital Kinshasa were targeted by demonstrations against the events in Goma. The Belgium Embassy's gate was also briefly set on fire.
Belgians in Goma are advised to leave the area by their own means if it is possible to do so safely or to remain in a safe place. Those in Bukavu are asked to reassess whether their presence is necessary, and if not to leave the area.
On Tuesday, Brussels Airlines cancelled two flights to and from Kinshasa. However, on Wednesday, it announced it would resume flights from Friday, with additional security measures. "Our crews will not spend the night in Kinshasa in the coming period. Therefore, the return flight from Kinshasa to Brussels will make a technical stop in Yaoundé (Cameroon)."
Over 100 people have died and 1,000 have been injured following the recent violence in Goma, according to an AFP report on Tuesday evening.
More than 500,000 people are estimated to have been displaced since early January due to the fighting in Eastern DRC, the Congolese Foreign Affairs Minister said on Tuesday.
Outgoing Belgian Foreign Affairs Minister Bernard Quintin said on Tuesday evening that the Belgian Embassy in Kinshasa was in contact with Belgians in the area. He advised them to remain indoors and follow the embassy's updates and guidelines.
