Rwanda Severs Diplomatic Relations with Belgium — Foreign Ministry

"This decision was made after a profound analysis of multiple factors, all of them tied with the pitiable attempts by Belgium to sustain its neocolonial illusions," the statement reads

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NAIROBI, March 17. /TASS/. Rwanda has moved to cut diplomatic relations with Belgium, the central African country’s Foreign Ministry said.

"The government of Rwanda has today notified the government of Belgium about its decision to sever the diplomatic relations <...>. This decision was made after a profound analysis of multiple factors, all of them tied with the pitiable attempts by Belgium to sustain its neocolonial illusions," the ministry said in a press release.

"All Belgian diplomats in Rwanda are required to leave the country within 48 hours. In compliance with the Vienna Convention, Rwanda will assure the protection of the premises, property, and archives of the Belgian diplomatic mission in Kigali," the press release reads.

According to the Rwandan Foreign Ministry, Belgium has consistently undermined Rwanda, well before and amid the ongoing conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). "Today, Belgium has clearly taken sides in a regional conflict and continues to systematically mobilize itself against Rwanda at different forums, resorting to lies and manipulation in order to create an unjustified hostile opinion of Rwanda, in an attempt to destabilize both Rwanda and the region," the ministry added.

Also, Kigali criticized Belgium for what it called a destructive historical role in fueling ethnic extremism that led to discrimination, persecution, and the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.

The M23 rebel group has been on the offensive in the eastern DRC since early 2025. The rebels have taken control of significant territory in the provinces of North and South Kivu, including the administrative centers of Goma and Bukavu. The country’s authorities accuse Rwanda of using regular army units to support the M23, a charge Kigali denies.