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"De Gucht can no longer go to the Congo," headlines De Standaard, the Flemish daily: the present European Commissioner for Development (and soon-to-be Commissioner for Trade) has been told by the Congolese Ministry of Foreign Affairs that he is at present persona non grata in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Kinshasa reproaches Karel De Gucht for the comments he made in a debate in the European Parliament in December. The Commissioner in particular condemned the lack of an "appropriate return" by the Congolese authorities for the aid given by the European Commission. According to De Standaard, De Gucht could have been more diplomatic, but that "in fact, he is saying little more than the truth." Kinshasa's reaction was predictable, the Flemish daily opines, for the Congolese authorities already have an axe to grind with De Gucht "since [De Gucht] stated in 2004 that he hadn't yet met any competent politicians in the Congo."
