Go Away With Your Colonial Mindset! Kagame Kicks Belgium Diplomats Out Of Rwanda

By Spy Uganda

Diplomatic relations between Rwanda and Belgium took a dramatic turn on Monday as Kigali announced the immediate severance of ties with Brussels. The move follows escalating tensions over each nation’s alleged role in the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

In a strongly worded statement, Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Belgium of “pitiful attempts to sustain its neocolonial delusions” and systematically undermining Rwanda’s sovereignty. Kigali further alleged that Belgium has long played a destructive role in regional conflicts, both historically and in the present day, particularly through its involvement in the DRC.

“Belgium has consistently undermined Rwanda, both well before and during the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo,” the statement read. It accused Belgium of taking sides in the regional crisis and attempting to mobilize international opinion against Rwanda through “lies and manipulation.”

Rwanda also pointed to Belgium’s colonial-era legacy in the region, accusing Brussels of fueling ethnic extremism that contributed to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The Rwandan government claims Belgium has continued to enable groups that promote genocide denial and sustain what it calls “genocidal ideology.”

As a result, all Belgian diplomats have been given 48 hours to leave Rwandan territory. Rwanda said it would safeguard Belgian diplomatic properties and archives in compliance with the Vienna Convention.

In response, Belgium’s Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Prévot criticized the decision, describing it as “disproportionate” and indicative of Kigali’s reluctance to engage in dialogue when disagreements arise. “This shows that when we disagree with Rwanda, they prefer not to engage in dialogue,” Prévot said.

Brussels announced it would reciprocate by expelling Rwandan diplomats and declaring them persona non grata.

The diplomatic fallout comes amid heightened international concern over the conflict in eastern Congo, where Rwanda has been accused by several countries and organizations of supporting M23 rebels. Kigali denies any involvement and, in turn, accuses Belgium of bias and interference.

This latest rupture in Rwanda-Belgium relations underscores a deepening rift between the two countries, whose ties have long been strained by their fraught colonial history and diverging positions on regional security.

As both countries prepare to pull their diplomats, observers warn that the breakdown in communication could complicate efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region.