Jean-Jacques Wondo back in Belgium after release from prison in DRC
Jean-Jacques Wondo, the Belgian-Congolese military expert who spent eight months in a Congolese prison, arrived at the Brussels-South railway station on Wednesday afternoon. He was met by his relatives and other loved ones. Foreign minister Maxime Prévot was also present.
Wondo, a Belgian-Congolese military expert, spent more than eight months in a prison in Kinshasa. He was sentenced to death in September last year along with about thirty other defendants by a military court in Kinshasa for his alleged role in a failed coup. Wondo has always maintained his innocence.
Hundreds of academics and members of the legal profession in Belgium had called for the Belgian authorities to put pressure on the DRC to bring about his release, and the European Parliament had called for his sentence to be overturned. Yesterday, he was released from prison in the DRC and first taken to the Belgian embassy.
"The most important thing is that I have regained my freedom. I will fight for my recovery”
Wondo looked healthy, but extremely affected when he arrived in Brussels. He wore sunglasses to hide tears of joy. “The most important thing is that I have regained my freedom. I will fight for my recovery,” he said. He thanked his loved ones, as well as everyone who contributed to his release. His family organised several manifestations of support and demonstrations in Brussels.
Interview in French with Jean-Jacques Wondo © BELGA VIDEO JEROME FETU
While the family was waiting for Wondo in the arrivals hall at Brussels-South, foreign minister Maxime Prévot clarified again how the release came about. Earlier in the day, he gave a joint press conference in Brussels with his Congolese counterpart. The latter referred to the Belgian position on the violence in eastern Congo.
Prévot explained that “the overall context and Belgium's support for democracy in Congo were decisive”. “The violence in eastern Congo is certainly a problem and Belgium must stand behind the Congolese people against the fighting in the east supported by Rwanda,” he said. “We will urge our European partners to take necessary measures and send a clear signal.”
Jean-Jacques Wondo © BELGA PHOTO HATIM KAGHAT
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