Belgian authorities carried out coordinated searches at properties linked to relatives of Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi on Wednesday as part of an investigation into suspected money laundering and alleged corruption involving the country’s lucrative mining sector.
Belgium’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that searches took place in Brussels and several municipalities in the Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant regions near the capital.
Dozens of police officers participated in the operation, which follows complaints filed in July 2025 by Congolese civil society organisations alleging financial misconduct involving members of the president’s family.
The investigation centres on allegations of corruption, embezzlement and money laundering connected to mining operations in the mineral-rich Haut-Katanga and Lualaba provinces of southeastern Congo.
The complaints accuse several relatives and associates of Tshisekedi of improperly benefiting from mining contracts and related business activities, allegations that have not been established in court.
The original complaint, submitted to Belgian prosecutors by lawyers Bernard and Brieuc Maingain, targeted nine relatives and associates of the Congolese president, including individuals holding Belgian citizenship.
It was supported by civil society groups from the Katanga region and former executives of Gécamines, Congo’s state-owned mining company.
The complainants alleged that members of the presidential entourage had used their political connections to benefit from mining activities and business arrangements involving valuable mineral resources.
Belgian prosecutors have declined to identify those whose properties were searched or disclose whether documents, financial records or other assets were seized.
The prosecutor’s office said further details would be withheld to protect the confidentiality of the investigation and the presumption of innocence. No arrests or criminal charges were announced in connection with Wednesday’s operations.
The investigation comes amid continued scrutiny of Congo’s mining industry, which supplies substantial quantities of copper and cobalt used in electric vehicles, batteries and other technologies.
The central African country holds some of the world’s most valuable mineral deposits, but allegations of corruption and opaque mining agreements have repeatedly raised concerns over how the sector’s revenues are managed.
