Arewa Youths Forum Calls for Review of Ties with Belgium

The Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, led by convener Mallam Kabiru Yusuf, has urged African leaders to consider reviewing diplomatic relations with Belgium if the reported search of a residence allegedly used by Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo in Brussels is found to violate international law. This call follows a petition from the African Centre for Justice and Human Rights, which the Nigerian House of Representatives approved for consideration.

The petition seeks an inquiry into the search of the residence in Uccle, Brussels, raising concerns about African sovereignty and the legal protections afforded to heads of state. The forum has called for transparency regarding the circumstances of the search and emphasized that responses should adhere to established facts and international law.

They urged the African Union, ECOWAS, and other institutions to engage Belgium diplomatically and coordinate an appropriate response, while also calling on African governments to protect their sovereignty and strategic mineral resources.