By Ariiho Kevin
The Government of Rwanda Monday declared it has officially ended all diplomatic ties with the Kingdom of Belgium and has ordered all Belgian diplomats to leave the country in forty-eight hours.
Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation released a statement addressing this diplomatic crisis accusing Belgium of having pitiful delusions of attempting neo-colonialism.
Kigali further accuses Brussels of taking sides in the regional conflict and systematically mobilizing hostility against Rwanda in different forums through lies and manipulation so as to destabilize the region.
It should be noted that relations between Rwanda and Belgium went sour after Belgium itself rallied against Rwanda’s support for M23 rebels in the ongoing DRC conflict which Kigali termed as ‘undermining Rwanda’ and fighting against Rwandan interests.
In the DRC conflict that has lasted for decades, Belgium has had a controversial history of fueling civil unrest in the country. However, Rwanda has also been condemned internationally for its contribution to the ongoing war in DRC in which many cases of war crimes and human rights abuses have been reported.
On several occasions, Kigali has vehemently rejected these accusations and has denied any connection with M23 rebels rendering these allegations malicious and absurd.
Kigali also implicates Brussels in the fueling of the 1994 genocide infamous for its systematic extermination of ethnic Tutsi people and that Belgian territory is being used by groups who still sustain extremist genocidal ideology laying the ground for justification to sever Rwandan-Belgian diplomatic ties.
Rwanda has gone on to vow its commitment to safeguard its national interests and dignity on top of upholding its sovereignty, peace and mutual respect. Moreso, Rwanda has granted unconditional assurance of protecting embassy premises, archives and property of the Belgian mission in Rwanda in compliance with the Vienna Convention.
Belgium has also condemned Rwanda’s actions in the strongest terms and has also vowed to reciprocate in the same manner.
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