Eastern DRC: “Congolese lives are worth as much as Ukrainian lives,” say two European lawmakers demanding sanctions against those responsible for destabilization

Belgian Members of the European Parliament Elio Di Rupo and Hilde Vautmans are urging the European Union to respond to the security and humanitarian crisis in eastern DR Congo, where fighting and occupation continue in parts of North Kivu and South Kivu. Following a meeting with Congolese Regional Integration Minister Floribert Anzuluni and Belgian lawmaker Lydia Mutyebele Ngoi, they called for targeted sanctions, respect for peace commitments and urgent increases in humanitarian aid. Di Rupo said Congolese lives deserve the same attention as Ukrainian lives and warned that violence could worsen, particularly after Joseph Kabila announced he would lead the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation, described as incorporating the Rwanda-backed M23.