Statement · 5 October 2026

30 Years of War, 30 Years of Impunity

Having just spent three days in Brussels for the launch of the awareness campaign marking the thirtieth anniversary of the start of the First Congo War and the Lemera massacre in South Kivu, perpetrated on October 6, 1996, I wish to commend the political courage of Mayor Philippe Close and the members of the City of Brussels administration, who have dedicated significant human and material resources to the success of this campaign. Through this commitment, the City of Brussels stands with the people of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and helps bring visibility, right in the heart of Europe, to the deadliest conflict since World War II, a crisis that stands as a prime example of international neglect....