Summary:
Rwanda’s decision follows remarks from President Paul Kagame, who accused Belgium of pushing for international sanctions against Kigali over the conflict in eastern DRC.
NEWS: Rwanda has severed diplomatic ties with Belgium and ordered all Belgian diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours, escalating tensions between the two nations.
In a statement released on Monday, Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Belgium of “consistently” undermining Kigali in the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
“The Government of Rwanda today (Monday) notified the Government of Belgium of its decision to sever diplomatic relations, effective immediately,” the statement read.
In response, Belgium announced that Rwandan diplomats were no longer welcome in the country.
“Belgium regrets Rwanda’s decision to cut diplomatic ties and declare our diplomats persona non grata,” Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said on X. “This is disproportionate and shows that when we disagree with Rwanda, they prefer not to engage in dialogue.”
Rwanda’s decision follows remarks from President Paul Kagame, who accused Belgium of pushing for international sanctions against Kigali over the conflict in eastern DRC.
The Rwanda-backed M23 armed group launched a major offensive earlier this year, seizing two key cities in the mineral-rich region.
A UN report claims that Rwanda effectively controls the group and has deployed around 4,000 troops in the DRC allegations Kigali denies, insisting it faces security threats from ethnic Hutu militias in the region.
The Congolese government estimates that at least 7,000 people have been killed in the ongoing violence and has called for international intervention.
Monday’s diplomatic fallout comes as Congo and M23 rebels prepare to send delegations to peace talks scheduled for Tuesday in Angola.
