The diplomatic fallout between Rwanda and Belgium has taken an unexpected turn, as two Rwandan diplomats stationed in Brussels have reportedly sought political asylum following Kigali’s abrupt decision to sever diplomatic relations with Belgium. Rwanda ordered the immediate expulsion of all Belgian diplomats from its territory, granting them a 48-hour deadline to leave. In response, Belgium implemented reciprocal measures, summoning the Rwandan chargé d’affaires in Brussels and ordering the expulsion of Rwandan diplomats within the same timeframe.
According to sources, one of the diplomats seeking asylum is Jean Pierre Nkunzurwanda, formerly the second secretary at the Rwandan embassy in Brussels. Before his appointment to Belgium in 2021, he held key positions within Rwanda’s Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration, a crucial arm of Kagame’s government. The second diplomat, whose identity remains undisclosed, reportedly worked as a security officer at the embassy.
This diplomatic crisis escalated just days after a Rwandan delegation, led by Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe, visited Brussels for meetings with the European Union. Notably, the delegation deliberately avoided any engagement with Belgian authorities, a move widely perceived as a diplomatic snub. When Belgium retaliated by summoning Rwanda’s chargé d’affaires, Nduhungirehe declared that no Rwandan diplomat would respond to the summons.
These tensions follow a fiery speech by Rwandan President Paul Kagame over the weekend, during which he openly lashed out at Belgium. Speaking at a mass rally in Kigali, Kagame referred to Belgium as a “small country” that has been the source of Rwanda’s problems, accusing it of being the main driver behind the international sanctions imposed on his government. He further announced that Rwanda would take measures against Belgium despite its limited resources.
The diplomatic rupture comes amid growing tensions between Kigali and Brussels, particularly after the European Union imposed targeted sanctions on several high-ranking Rwandan military officials and M23/AFC members. These individuals are accused of fueling the invasion of eastern DRC and profiting from the illegal exploitation of the country’s mineral resources. Rwanda has strongly denied these allegations, dismissing them as neo-colonial interference.
The asylum requests by Rwandan diplomats in Belgium could further strain relations between the two nations and highlight potential fractures within Kagame’s regime as international pressure mounts. Whether more defections will follow and what long-term impact this diplomatic rift will have on Rwanda’s ties with Western partners remains to be seen.
Therwandan
