The Rwandan government has announced the suspension of its bilateral aid program with Belgium for the period 2024-2029, citing what it calls Belgium’s political interference in the ongoing crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The decision follows Belgium’s push, in collaboration with the DRC, to restrict Rwanda’s access to development financing, including in multilateral institutions. Kigali has condemned this move as an attempt to leverage development aid for political purposes, warning that such actions undermine the African Union (AU)-led mediation efforts aimed at resolving the conflict.
“Belgium has made a political decision to choose a side in this conflict, which is its right, but politicizing development is plainly wrong,” Rwanda’s statement reads. “No country in the region should have its development finance jeopardized as a tool of leverage.”
Rwanda has accused Belgium of engaging in “punitive, one-sided measures” that amount to external interference and risk prolonging instability in the region. The government emphasized that development partnerships must be based on mutual respect and accountability, adding that Rwanda has always ensured transparency in the management of international funding.
Kigali maintains that its primary focus is securing its borders and ending “the politics of violent ethnic extremism” in the region. Rwanda has long accused the DRC and the international community of failing to dismantle the UN-sanctioned FDLR militia, which Kigali claims continues to pose a security threat.
The suspension of aid marks a significant diplomatic escalation in tensions between Rwanda and Belgium, a former colonial power in the Great Lakes region.
It also raises questions about the broader implications for international efforts to stabilize eastern DRC, where fighting between Congolese forces and armed groups, including the M23 rebels, has intensified in recent months.
