Rwanda retaliates and breaks its diplomatic relations with Belgium | EUROtoday

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QUarran-eight hours. It is the time given to Belgian diplomats to depart Rwanda. This Monday, March 17, after a number of weeks of sturdy tensions with the previous colonial energy, Kigali introduced the rupture of his diplomatic relations with Belgium. In a vitrioli assertion, the Rwandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation justified a call linked to the “pitiful attempts of Belgium to maintain its neocolonial illusions”, whereas accusing Brussels of getting “taken part” on this regional battle for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and of “systematically mobilizing against Rwanda in different forums, Manipulations to create an unjustified hostile opinion “towards the nation of a thousand hills.

Kigali additionally denounced the Belgian colonial historical past within the area, which, in response to the press launch to the “genocide against the 1994 Tutsis”. Maxime Prévot, Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, regrets a “disproportionate” choice whereas stressing that it “illustrates that when we disagree with Rwanda, it prefers not to dialogue”. The alternative for him to recall that he had invited his Rwandan counterpart, Olivier Nduhungirehe, throughout his go to to Brussels final week, “but the latter declined the meeting”.

Climbing tensions

This rupture of diplomatic relations between the 2 international locations comes after weeks of sturdy tensions, because the fall of Goma in North Kivu in January and Bukavu in South Kivu in February, fallen into the palms of the M23 rebels, supported by Rwanda.

Already, on February 18, Kigali suspended the Belgian improvement support packages within the nation, whereas Brussels argued for a agency method towards Kigali and “would have taken the measures here anticipated”, defined Maxime Prévot. A robust choice by Kigali, whereas the price range for this bilateral program is 120 million euros, in response to the web site of the Belgian Development Agency (Enabel), and Rwanda receives round $ 1.3 billion in worldwide support, when its final annual budgets had been round $ 4 billion.

This Sunday, March 16, Rwandan President Paul Kagame, in a primary well-liked assembly since his re -election in July 2024, organized at BK Arena, denounced in a particularly virulent speech towards Western Chancellery, and specifically Belgium, the sanctions taken towards Rwanda. Faced with this break which appears with out return between the 2 international locations, the top of Belgian diplomacy indicated on X (ex-Twitter) that his nation would take comparable measures with “the summons of the Rwandan manager, declaring the diplomats of Rwanda Persona Non Grata and denouncing our government cooperation agreements”.

Still in the identical press launch, Maxime Prévot signifies that “Belgium refutes the declarations of President Paul Kagame made this weekend as well as the reasons given to justify the Rwandan decision. Belgium does not seek to punish or weaken Rwanda, even less according to a colonial past from which it has distanced itself for a long time. It is a total deformation of the facts. […] The only compass in Belgium will continue to be respect for human rights, the rule of law and international humanitarian law. […] This position is shared by the whole European Union as well as by other international partners, including the G7. This shows that it is not an isolated position and that Belgium does not need to convince its partners. »»

European sanctions: a blow for the peace process?

Tensions between Rwanda and Belgium reached a breakdown on Monday, with two almost simultaneous announcements. While Kigali notified the expulsion of Belgian diplomats within 48 hours, the European Union adopted a series of individual sanctions against nine personalities and an entity.

Among the targeted figures, Bertrand Bisimwa, president of the political branch of the M23, accused by the EU of serious human rights violations and of maintaining instability in the east of the DRC. Also punished with senior Rwandan military officials, including General Major Ruki Karusisi, former head of the Rwandan special forces, as well as Francis Kamanzi, director of Rwanda Mining Board, and the Gold Refinery refinery, accused of exploiting Congolese minerals.

This double diplomatic and economic offensive comes on the eve of crucial negotiations between Kinshasa and the M23, planned in Luanda under the mediation of the Angolan President João Lourenço. But while the rebels advance towards Walikale, on the strategic axis leading to Kisangani, their participation in the discussions remains uncertain. On his X account (ex-Twitter), Bertrand Bisimwa denounced a partial Western approach:

“These who make enjoyable of our issues to focus their consideration solely on their pursuits solely conscious of the imbalance affect on their sanctions on the peace course of in our international locations? […] Do they know that by sanctioning a part of the peace course of, they head the opposite by radicalizing it? Just a few hours later, AFC/M23 formally canceled its participation in Luanda dialogue with Kinshasa.

An absence that weakens regional mediation efforts somewhat extra and strengthens the diplomatic deadlock.



https://www.lepoint.fr/afrique/le-rwanda-riposte-et-rompt-ses-relations-diplomatiques-avec-la-belgique-17-03-2025-2584964_3826.php

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