Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Olivier Nduhungirehe, has sharply criticized Belgium’s decision to review bilateral cooperation, dismissing it as a “neocolonial narrative” and an act of “hypocrisy.”

His remarks come after Kigali suspended its development cooperation with Belgium, accusing Brussels of leading efforts to block Rwanda’s access to international development financing. 

Nduhungirehe was responding to Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Prévot, who had defended the suspension review, citing concerns over Rwanda’s alleged violation of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) territorial integrity.

However, Nduhungirehe rejected Belgium’s justification, insisting that Rwanda is fully capable of handling its own development.

“First, it’s not the Kingdom of Belgium that takes care of the well-being of the Rwandan people, but the Government of Rwanda itself,” he said.

He accused Belgium of actively undermining Rwanda’s access to development financing while ignoring serious security threats facing the country.

“Rwanda and history know too well how the Kingdom of Belgium behaves when it comes to defending the Rwandan people,” he stated, referencing Belgium’s colonial past in Rwanda.

Nduhungirehe further alleged that Belgium turned a blind eye when DRC President Félix Tshisekedi allegedly armed the FDLR, a rebel group linked to the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, and integrated it into the Congolese army.

“When President Tshisekedi supported and armed the FDLR genocidal force and embedded it in his army, Belgium saw it but did nothing,” he claimed. 

He also accused Belgium of failing to respond to Tshisekedi’s public threats to overthrow Rwanda’s government and attack Kigali.

Additionally, he alleged that Belgium ignored atrocities committed against Congolese Tutsi communities in North Kivu, Banyamulenge in South Kivu, and Hema in Ituri.

“When the FARDC and its criminal militias persecute and kill, in broad daylight, the Congolese Tutsi in North Kivu, the Banyamulenge in South Kivu, and the Hema in Ituri, Belgium is fully aware but chooses to look the other way,” he said.

Rwanda’s suspension of cooperation with Belgium and the escalating diplomatic rhetoric underscore growing tensions between the two nations amid regional instability in the Great Lakes region. By BRUHAN MAKONG, Capital News