Rwanda and Belgium have agreed to restore diplomatic relations, ending an 18-month rupture linked to disagreements over the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The decision was announced on September 22 in a joint statement signed by Rwanda’s Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe and Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot.
Under the agreement, the two countries will reopen their respective embassies “in the near future,” initially with small missions headed by chargé d’affaires ad interim, according to the Rwandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Each mission will be supported by a diplomat or consular officer and a small technical team. The two governments said they would later begin the process of accrediting ambassadors, and Rwanda’s ambassador to Belgium will also be accredited to the European Union.
In their joint statement, Rwanda and Belgium committed themselves to maintaining an open, candid and transparent dialogue, and also agreed that non-interference, mutual respect and constructive engagement would guide their future relations.
The restoration follows several meetings and informal contacts between Nduhungirehe and Prévot in recent months. Both governments thanked Qatar for facilitating the foreign ministers’ first meeting in Doha in June 2025, a contact that helped reopen a channel for negotiations.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari described the Doha meeting as a breakthrough that enabled the ministers to address underlying disputes. He said Qatar provided a trusted platform for dialogue between the two countries.
For Qatar, the development reinforces its broader mediation role in the African Great Lakes region. Doha has also hosted diplomatic efforts involving Rwanda, Congo and representatives linked to the M23 conflict.
The Belgian foreign minister wrote on X that this was an important step “in a world marked by growing tensions”. “Restoring diplomatic relations between states does not mean abandoning our position, but having structured channels for dialogue, and I will continue to defend the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the DRC,” he said.
The minister’s remarks emphasized that restoring relations did not mean abandoning its position on the Congolese conflict. Relations deteriorated sharply in March 2025, when Rwanda severed diplomatic ties with Belgium and ordered its diplomats to leave. Kigali accused Brussels of taking sides in the conflict in eastern Congo, where fighting involving the M23 armed group has intensified regional and international tensions.
