Belgian Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prevot visited Kampala last Friday. Besides discussing regional security, one of his key objectives was to ask President Museveni to mediate and help restore diplomatic relations between Belgium and Rwanda.
“President Museveni is a valuable mediator in diplomatic discussions,” said Prevot.
While Belgium still sees Rwanda as a key player in resolving the crisis in eastern DR Congo, Prevot stressed that Belgium cannot ignore Rwanda’s alleged violations of Congolese sovereignty. According to The East African, the mission had a dual focus: peace in eastern Congo and reconnecting Kigali and Brussels.
Speaking to the press in Kampala, Prevot stated that he could not visit Rwanda due to Kigali’s diplomatic severance in March 2025, but he remains hopeful:
“It’s unfortunate that I can’t visit Rwanda under the current circumstances. There’s a lot of false information. Cutting ties is not a solution to disagreement.”
He added that even Russia, despite sanctions for invading Ukraine, still maintains diplomatic ties with the West—proof that dialogue should never be completely off the table.
On March 17, 2025, Rwanda expelled all Belgian diplomats, accusing Belgium of bias and of spreading misinformation meant to harm Rwanda in the context of the Congo conflict. Rwanda also cited Belgium’s negative colonial legacy and alleged interference in regional affairs.
