A diplomatic row has erupted between Belgium and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after a military court in Kinshasa upheld a death sentence on Monday for Belgian-Congolese military expert Jean-Jacques Wondo.
Wondo was convicted alongside 36 others, including three Americans, in September 2024 on charges of criminal association, terrorism, and plotting a failed coup in the DRC. His appeal was rejected on Monday, prompting sharp reactions from Belgium.
The Belgian government immediately recalled its ambassador to Kinshasa for consultations and summoned the DRC’s envoy to Brussels to express its discontent. In a statement, Belgium’s Foreign Ministry criticized the verdict, highlighting “significant weaknesses in the evidence presented and the lack of credible proof.”
The death sentence has further strained relations between the two nations, with Belgium describing the ruling as a serious concern.