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Message: [QUOTE="Munyaradzi Mafaro, post: 35704, member: 636"] Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prévot heads to Uganda Friday as part of his Central African trip. He aims to help find peace in eastern Congo, where fighting rages between government forces and M23 rebels. This visit happens right after both sides agreed to pause their fighting during peace talks in Qatar. The rebels backed by Rwanda have seized large areas of eastern Congo since December. They even captured Goma, the main city in the region. The Belgian Embassy said civilians suffer terribly from this violence. Women and children face the worst hardships in the conflict zone. Prévot will not visit Rwanda because that country cut ties with Belgium over the Congo crisis. His five-day trip also takes him to Burundi and Congo itself. During these stops, he plans to meet with officials and ordinary people affected by the war. Belgium wants all sides to respect Congo's borders and stop supporting armed groups. The country hopes to create legal trade routes for natural resources instead of smuggling networks. Prévot will push for refugees to return home safely when possible. He also wants hate speech against all groups to end. The Belgian minister believes Congo must reform its army to better protect its people. Belgium funds many projects across the region through direct and international partnerships. Prévot hopes to learn about current needs for future aid programs and show solidarity with local populations living through these difficult times. The minister also seeks to grow business connections between Belgium and these countries. His focus remains on breaking the cycle of violence that has plagued eastern Congo for decades. [/QUOTE]

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