Belgium and Rwanda restore diplomatic ties

Belgium and Rwanda agreed to resume diplomatic relations, the two countries said on Tuesday, mending a rift that came when Rwanda severed ties with its former colonial ruler last year.

"The Kingdom of Belgium and the Republic of Rwanda have jointly decided, on 22 September 2026, to restore diplomatic relations. To this end, their respective bilateral embassies will be reopened in the near future," the Belgian and Rwandan foreign ministries said in a joint statement.

The relationship frayed last year after Belgium criticised Rwanda for supporting the M23 armed group in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during a massive offensive.

Kigali cut ties with Brussels in March 2025 and expelled Belgian diplomats, saying that the European nation had "consistently undermined" it during the DRC conflict.

The two countries' joint statement on Tuesday said the decision to restore ties "follows a series of meetings and informal contacts held between the two Ministers of Foreign Affairs over recent months, during which a number of differences and misunderstandings were addressed in a constructive spirit".

"Belgium and Rwanda reaffirm their commitment to maintaining an open, candid and transparent dialogue, recognizing it as essential for addressing bilateral differences and discussing divergent positions and outstanding disagreements on international issues," the statement added.

The Rwandan foreign ministry posted a photo of Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe shaking hands with his Belgian counterpart Maxime Prevot outside the United Nations headquarters in New York.

"In a world marked by growing tensions, this is an important signal here in New York, the UN's host city, which embodies multilateralism and dialogue beyond our differences," Prevot wrote on X.

The resumption of diplomatic ties "should open a new era of constructive dialogue in a spirit of mutual respect," Nduhungirehe wrote in another post.