Belgian police search homes of relatives of Congo's Tshisekedi

BRUSSELS, Oct 15 (Reuters) — Belgian police raided the homes of several relatives and associates of Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi on Wednesday as part of an investigation into money laundering linked to mining revenues, two lawyers who filed the complaint said. The searches add to pressure on Tshisekedi, who faces security challenges in eastern Congo with an armed rebellion now led by his predecessor, Joseph Kabila, a deadly Ebola outbreak and growing opposition criticism over his alleged plans to seek a third term. The government has also sought to attract investment into Congo's mining sector, which holds some of the world's largest reserves of copper, cobalt and other strategic minerals but has long been dogged by corruption allegations. Belgian lawyer Bernard Maingain and France-based Congolese attorney Herve Diakese, who represent a group of NGOs from the southern Katanga province, known as DESC/RDC, said the raids were carried out as part of an investigation opened after the NGOs filed a complaint in Brussels. "The complaint in Belgium concerns the capture of resources by Belgian citizens and the laundering of funds derived from the misappropriation of mining revenues