Diplomatic relations between Rwanda and Belgium have turned sour after persistent demands by Brussels that Kigali stops supporting the M23 rebel movement in DRC.
Equally Kigali has condemned DRC-Burundi-FDLR alliance which aims to exterminate Congolese ethnic Tutsi population who grouped under the M23 military movement to defend themselves and are demanding for face to face talks with Kinshasa government.
The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), which Washington designated as terrorist organisation was created by perpetrators of the 1994 genocide against Tutsis in Rwanda.
The FDLR fighting alongside with Congolese military have previously launched deadly attacks inside Rwanda killing civilians and destroying property.
“When it comes to defending this country that has suffered for so long and nobody came to help, I don’t need permission from anybody to do what we have to do to protect ourselves. I have said it in a broad daylight. I have said it to those who matter in this problem,” Kagame has repeatedly echoed this message.
The deteriorating relations between the two countries have pushed Rwanda to transfer responsibility for European affairs to Berlin embassy headed by a Rwandan-German diplomat Igor César.
Belgium has recently stepped up its blame game against Rwanda over allegations that Kigali has violated the territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of Congo to support the M23 rebels who took up arms to defend themselves against ethnic-centred attacks.
DRCongo has been struggling to push back the battle-hardened M23 rebels since they launched a comeback offensive in the already restive east in 2022.
Hadja Lahbib the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs (pictured above) during her visit to DRC’s capital Kinshasa, said, “We must dare to name things,” said Lahbib, speaking of “violation of the territorial integrity” of the DRC by its neighbour, with “a risk of destabilisation”.
The relations between Brussels and Kigali have been frosty for more than a year.
Last year, Brussels refused to accredit a Ambassador Vincent Karega, a Rwandan envoy appointed to represent Rwanda in Belgium.
Amb. Karega had been Rwanda’s envoy to Kinshasa but was slammed a persona non grata status after Kinshasa fell out with Kigali.
“Our interpretation is that it is clear that this refusal was dictated by DRC rather than for other reasons,” said President Paul Kagame last year in an interview with Jeune Afrique.
Rwanda had appointed Ambassador Vincent Karega to represent the country in Belgium, but Brussels refused to accredit him.
“With the lack of reasonable explanations by the Belgian government on the refusal of Rwandan ambassador…We therefore felt that we needed a better explanation and that we weren’t going to change our position and send another ambassador,” Kagame said.
