Belgium’s ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Roxane de Bilderling, has visited Beni as Belgium moves to expand its development footprint in North Kivu through the opening of a local Enabel office.

De Bilderling met North Kivu’s military governor, Maj Gen Somo Kakule Evariste, alongside members of the provincial administration, according to local reporting. Their talks focused on the province’s security and humanitarian situation, including displacement pressures and needs linked to the ongoing conflict.

Beyond the crisis update, the visit also highlighted Belgian-Congolese cooperation and the planned local presence of Enabel, Belgium’s development agency. Multiple outlets reported that the Beni office is intended to bring development work closer to communities affected by insecurity, with programming typically spanning sectors such as health, education, agriculture and governance.

The trip was reported on February 18, 2026, with other accounts placing the ambassador’s arrival in Beni on February 17 and public messaging around the office opening in the same window.