Goma – The Democratic Republic of Congo’s presidential cabinet has restricted contact with Belgium’s embassy following police searches at properties linked to President Félix Tshisekedi’s family, bringing renewed strain to relations between Kinshasa and Brussels.
The searches took place on Wednesday, 14 October, followed by the presidential circular on 15 October. Their timing has drawn scrutiny, although the circular does not identify the investigation as the reason for the restrictions.
Presidential Residence Among Reported Search Locations
Belgian prosecutors confirmed searches in Brussels and surrounding areas as part of a money-laundering investigation arising from complaints filed by non-governmental organisations in 2025. They did not identify the people concerned. Lawyers representing the complainants said the operations involved relatives and associates of Tshisekedi.
Reporting cited by TV5MONDE identified a villa in Uccle used by the presidential couple as a secondary residence among the properties searched. This does not establish that the president owns the property. The searches occurred this week, rather than last week.
The investigation concerns complaints about mining revenues. Those complaints remain subject to judicial examination and do not establish criminal responsibility.
Cabinet Ordered to Suspend Contact
Circular No. 26/004, bearing the signature of presidential chief of staff Anthony Nkinzo Kamole, directs cabinet members to suspend direct and indirect professional contact with the Belgian embassy and its diplomatic and administrative staff “until further notice,” according to an English translation of the document.
The instruction covers deputy chiefs of staff, special advisers, senior advisers, specialised-service coordinators and other presidential cabinet personnel. Breaches may lead to administrative and disciplinary sanctions.
Any necessary communication must receive authorisation and proceed exclusively through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Diplomatic Strain Without a Confirmed Rupture
The restriction narrows engagement between presidential staff and Belgium’s diplomatic mission at a sensitive moment. However, the document does not announce a severance of diplomatic relations or the embassy’s closure.
A direct connection between the searches and the directive remains unconfirmed. Actualite.cd reported that an unnamed internal source denied such a link. The circular itself offers no explanation, leaving the reasons for the restriction—and its wider diplomatic consequences—unresolved.
