After Africans fought for independence, a resistance that cost more than an arm and a leg, it hasn’t been easy for our countries to disentangle from colonial powers. Instead, they engineered a heavy dependence on finance, military, and politics. Among these countries was unfortunately Rwanda. In fact, the 1962 independence was only on paper for us, because Belgium kept running the country for years through all sorts of machinations. Since the RPF stopped the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi and ushered in a government of national unity, this influence kept tremendously reducing until March 17 when Rwanda severed diplomatic relations, ordering all Belgian diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours. ALSO READ: Belgium funds genocide denial organizations, says Minister Bizimana For years, Belgium has positioned itself as Rwanda’s watchdog, even after independence in 1962. Although its stance on the ongoing DR Congo crisis may have been the last straw, it is not their worst when it comes to colonial and neo-colonial destruction. The country’s role in dividing Rwandans into made-up ethnicities led to decades of persecution that culminated into the 1994 Genocide. In fact, the genocidal governments since independence were closely allied with Belgium. Even today, this country remains the safest haven for genocide fugitives and their families that openly negate or deny the Genocide. ALSO READ: Rwanda cuts diplomatic ties with Belgium The ongoing conflict in DR Congo has its roots in the Genocide, as well as colonization by Belgium. Nevertheless, the country’s open hostility against Rwanda is not justified and may give the impression that Rwanda answers to Belgium. Rwanda’s decision to cut ties with Belgium raises questions about the future of the countries, but for a moment, we should imagine a Rwanda without Belgium six decades ago, or perhaps, a century ago.
