Rwandan diplomats will not respond to Brussels summons: Nduhungirehe

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Olivier Nduhungirehe, has said Rwandan diplomats will not respond to any summons from the Belgian government following the severance of diplomatic ties between the two countries on Monday, March 17. ALSO READ: Rwanda cuts diplomatic ties with Belgium Nduhungirehe said this in response to his Belgian counterpart, Maxime Prevot, who said Brussels would respond to Rwanda’s decision to cut diplomatic ties, including through “the convocation of the Rwandan chargé d’affaires.” “The severance of our diplomatic relations with Belgium naturally implies the immediate closure of our embassy in Brussels and the recall of all our diplomats from Belgium, who must return to Kigali within 48 hours,” said Nduhungirehe in post in X. “During this period, none of our diplomats will respond to any summons from the Belgian state.” ALSO READ: Rwanda tells Belgium not ready ‘to surrender sovereignty, dignity for crumbs of economic aid’ Announcing the decision, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said the European country, which colonized Rwanda and DR Congo, sought to “undermine” Rwanda’s progress through “pitiful attempts to sustain its neocolonial delusions.” “Belgium has clearly taken sides in [the DR Congo] conflict and continues to systematically mobilize against Rwanda in different forums, using lies and manipulation to secure an unjustified hostile opinion of Rwanda, in an attempt to destabilize both Rwanda and the region,” the ministry said in a Monday statement. ALSO READ: A historical timeline of Belgium's divisive politics in Rwanda Prevot said he regretted Rwanda’s decision, calling it “disproportionate” and accusing Rwanda of avoiding dialogue. The diplomatic rift has its roots in a long-standing history between the two nations, especially regarding Belgium’s colonial and divisive policies, which culminated in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Rwanda has consistently accused Belgium of perpetuating neo-colonial practices, undermining its sovereignty, and attempting to manipulate Rwanda’s position on the international stage. “Belgium’s destructive historical role in fuelling the ethnic extremism that led to the Genocide against the Tutsi continues to affect the relationship between our two countries,” the foreign ministry said in the statement. Rwanda suspended development cooperation with Belgium in February, accusing the European country of leading an aggressive campaign, together with DR Congo, to obstruct Rwanda’s access to international development financing, particularly in multilateral institutions. This came amid the escalation of military conflict between M23 rebels and Congolese government coalition, which includes the FDLR, a UN-sanctioned terror group linked to the Genocide against the Tutsi.

News

Rwandan diplomats will not respond to Brussels summons: Nduhungirehe