Rwanda Cuts Diplomatic Ties with Belgium, Expels Diplomats
Rwanda disconnected diplomatic ties from Belgium and gave Belgian diplomats 48 hours to leave the country. The Kigali Foreign Ministry announced the decision on Monday, accusing Belgium of interference. The ministry criticized Brussels for undermining Kigali before and during the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Belgium recently stopped aid with Kigali and held a trade agreement with Rwanda’s support for rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Eastern Congo. Despite the increasing pressure, President Paul Kagame vowed to boycott his so-called Belgian neocolonial intervention in a fierce press conference. The move escalated tensions between the two countries as Rwanda faces international scrutiny in the resource-rich provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
source: African
