KIGALI – Rwanda has suspended its development cooperation with Belgium, citing the country’s attempts to sabotage Rwanda’s access to development finance. This move comes as the international community is being called upon to support the mediation process to resolve the crisis in Eastern DRC.
According to Rwanda, Belgium has made a political decision to choose a side in the conflict, which is its right, but politicizing development is not acceptable. Rwanda’s government believes that no country in the region should have its development finance jeopardized as a tool of leverage.
Rwanda’s decision to suspend development cooperation with Belgium is a response to what it sees as punitive, one-sided measures that undermine the African-led mediation process. Such measures have failed to provide a solution in the past, only adding to the problems and deferring them to the future.
The Rwandan government has made it clear that it will not be bullied or blackmailed into compromising national security. Its primary goal is to achieve a secure border and an irreversible end to the politics of violent ethnic extremism in the region.
Rwanda needs peace and a durable solution, and the government believes that no one should continue to tolerate the cycles of conflict that continually recur due to the failure of the DRC Government and the international community to fulfill their commitments.
The suspension of development cooperation with Belgium marks a significant turning point in Rwanda’s relations with the country. Rwanda’s government has emphasized the importance of maintaining mutual respect and fully supporting the AU/EAC/SADC mediation.
In response to Rwanda’s decision, Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxime Prévot, stated that Belgium was already reviewing its cooperation with Rwanda before the suspension. Prévot emphasized that Belgium intends to conduct a professional suspension process aimed at preserving the achievements of cooperation for the benefit of the Rwandan people
