Pressure is building on the Belgian Government to decide if they will join the EU maritime operations against Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, with a decision expected on Friday.
Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib (MR) addressed MPs on Thursday, saying Belgium has "a duty to participate in a European-level operation" to secure trade on the Red Sea.
The core federal cabinet – the Prime Minister and deputy PMs – are meeting on Friday to discuss whether Belgium will provide support to the US in an EU-led operation against the Yemeni Houthi rebels to stop the attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. Disruption to maritime trade in the Suez canal has caused it to go down by 40%.
For Lahbib, Belgium should join the EU mission "to show our solidarity and commitment to our allies" but the majority in the House of Representatives is divided on the issue, particularly on the left.
Francophone socialist MP Malik Ben Achour (PS) accused the foreign minister of not speaking on behalf of the government. The 44-year-old linked it to the request by greens, socialists and Christian democrats to push Belgium to join the South African case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague – but the plea fell on deaf ears.
The Greens also supported this view. "I don't understand how we are prepared to carry out military operations against Yemeni rebels and yet we cannot even intervene for Gaza in legal proceedings," Green MP Samuel Cogolati (Ecolo) echoed.
Warships and aircraft
EU foreign ministers are set to discuss a proposal on 22 January on whether to officially join the Operation Prosperity Guardian, spearheaded by the US, and gave preliminary backing to the idea on Tuesday.
Proposals currently under development by the European External Action Service (EEAS) include the deployment of warships and reconnaissance aircraft.
Spain, travelled to the region with Belgium and called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, has ruled out any involvement in the operation. The southern European country abstained so the operation could still go ahead, various EU media reported.
In recent weeks, the US and the UK have heightened their military actions against the Iran-backed Houthis, supported by the Netherlands, Canada, and Bahrain, and launched attacks on rebel infrastructure on last week, fuelling fears of escalating the regional conflict.
