Belgium Deputy PM Begins Great Lakes Tour, Holds Talks With Museveni on Regional Security

Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxime Prévot, has commenced his diplomatic mission to the Great Lakes region with a high-level visit to Uganda, where he held discussions with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on regional peace, security, and bilateral cooperation.

In what he described as a “very constructive exchange,” Prévot underscored Uganda’s pivotal role in regional stability and its contributions to fostering dialogue, supporting refugee populations, and advancing cooperation with neighboring states.

“Uganda plays a key role in the stability of the region,” Prévot noted. “I value its continued efforts in fostering regional dialogue, cooperation with neighbours, and support for refugees.”

A key focus of the talks was the deteriorating security situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Both leaders emphasized the urgent need for lasting peace and identified core issues that require regional and international attention—namely, respect for sovereign borders, promotion of regional economic integration, accountability for human rights violations, and the elimination of hate speech and armed threats.

On the bilateral front, the meeting highlighted the strong and historic ties between Uganda and Belgium. Prévot expressed satisfaction with the current development cooperation programme, which targets critical sectors such as health, education, and defence training, and is already yielding tangible benefits for Ugandan communities.

He further revealed ongoing discussions to broaden areas of collaboration, particularly in trade and security-related capacity building.

“I thank President Museveni and the people of Uganda for the warm welcome,” said Prévot. “From here, I continue to Burundi and the DRC—with one goal: advancing peace and partnerships across the region.”

The visit marks a renewed commitment by Belgium to engage more deeply in the Great Lakes region’s pursuit of stability and prosperity, as tensions continue to simmer in parts of the DRC and diplomatic momentum builds around regional integration efforts.

Prévot’s next stops in Burundi and the DRC are expected to carry forward the same themes of peacebuilding, economic cooperation,  and strengthening multilateral ties.