Home NewsNational President Kagame Pins Belgium, Says Former Coloniser Responsible For Problems In The Region

President Kagame Pins Belgium, Says Former Coloniser Responsible For Problems In The Region

by Edmund Kagire
3:51 pm

President Kagame briefed a packed BK Arena about the ongoing crisis in DRC and its origins.

President Paul Kagame has sent a stern warning to Belgium, accusing the European country of continuously working to undermine Rwanda, by sowing divisions, reiterating that Rwandans will not accept to go back to the past, from which they learned many lessons.

Addressing more than 8,000 residents of the City of Kigali, diplomatic corps and citizen representatives from other provinces at BK Arena on Sunday, the Head of State reflected on the number of issues, including the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which he said Rwanda is unjustly paying a heavy price for, but it can be traced back to colonial times, which Belgium is to blame.

Without mincing his words, President Kagame said that Belgium is responsible for messing up not only Rwanda, but the region, dividing people along borderlines and ethnicity and today continues to hound Rwanda, citing Brussels’ recent efforts to have Rwanda sanctioned by the international community over the conflict in DRC, as an example.

President Kagame said that the conflict in DRC, for those who have followed history, has nothing to do with Rwanda but rather those who drew borders, dividing people who speak the same language on either side of the borderlines, as is the case with Rwanda, DRC, Uganda and other neighbouring countries.

“This war in Congo, people have tried to make it Rwanda’s war, but it is not Rwanda’s war. Rwanda did not start this war; rather, what those who started it wanted, is what we are fighting against. And that is what I am going to explain to you,”

“This war has its origins in the history I just mentioned. Some people who are called Rwandans found themselves on the other side of the borders that define Rwanda today. It was not Rwanda that took them there. Rwanda did not move Rwandans to Kisoro in Uganda. Rwanda did not move Rwandans to Masisi, Rutshuru, and other places. Rwanda did not take them there,” President Kagame said.

He said that if countries don’t want to accept these people as their own citizens and want to force them out, the end result is a war as it is happening in DRC.

“Now, for those who found themselves there, if the governments of those countries want to tell them, ‘Get up and go back to where you belong, to Rwanda,’ if that is their decision, then they should expel them along with the land they live on, and remain with only what belongs to them,”

President Kagame’s speech was met by a thunderous applause as he highlighted some of the key issues in the conflict that has lasted decades.

“If you claim to act in truth or seek peace, as all people do, then you must respect people’s rights. Without a doubt, when you deny people their rights, they will fight for them, that is the fire I was talking about. And when you drag Rwandans into this situation and blame Rwanda because these other countries do not want the people who are there, what do you expect us to do? We will stand up for ourselves ,” he pointed out.

The Head of State said that Rwanda is willing to defend herself against what he called unjust accusations, within its own means and resources, and will not allow a situation where a neighbouring country is not only supporting the same people who committed the Genocide in Rwanda but has also declared war.

President Kagame said that for many years, Rwanda’s concerns on the presence of Interahamwe (FDLR) have been doubted and questioned, with some downplaying their numbers, despite overwhelming evidence that the same people continue with their genocide ideology in DRC, with the support of the government.

He pointed out that it is important that the conversation comes at a time when Rwanda is about to commemorate the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, and it is time to remind those who were involved of their role, especially western allies of the genocidal government.

“You remember the lives we lost. It is a good thing to be talking about this as we approach the month of April, when we commemorate the Genocide.

Those who were involved and are not Rwandans, played an even more significant role in the tragic events that happened than Rwandans did. These are the same people who, even today, continue to persecute us, denying us peace, and making us pay a price because we were not meant to survive,” President Kagame said.

President Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame were joined by senior officials and diplomatic corps for the first Citizen Outreach of 2025.

“Should we allow people who killed our people to continue killing us as we watch? I would rather fight to my death.
These same people killing our people have been around for so long. Some people think this is an issue of yesterday,” President Kagame said, recalling the historical background of the conflict and the role of Europeans.

DRC conflict not new

Similarly, he pointed out that the M23 rebellion is not new, pointing out that the same people have been fighting for their rights for many decades and in the past, the government in DRC had reached an agreement with them, accepting to address their grievances.

The current government however reneged on the agreements and the conflict resumed, but it is not new and has nothing to do with Rwanda.

“The fact that they had signed agreements with them means that they acknowledge that these are their citizens,” President Kagame said, adding that when the conflict resumed, the DRC government joined forces with genocidaires and other parties with a similar ideology and agenda, with backing from elsewhere.

The Head of State said that what followed was a conspiracy to put a blame on Rwanda, while nobody has held the DRC accountable for its own failures and role in a conflict which has many other parties, including the United Nations

“For many years we have told the world about these people (FDLR), but they keep a blind eye, they say that is not enough. What we saw recently, it was not about fighting those people, but the plan was to attack Rwanda. The President of DRC said it, kept repeating it over and over again, but nobody has said anything,”

President Kagame said Kinshasa rallied partners to fight Rwanda, hired mercenaries from Europe – an act he said is illegal internationally, but nobody has condemned or sanctioned DRC.

“Mercenaries are actually not allowed, but since they are fighting Rwanda, it is acceptable,” President Kagame said, adding that when they talk about Rwanda supporting M23/AFC, they don’t talk about DRC supporting FDLR.

The mood in BK Arena was upbeat.

“It is easy to accuse Rwanda, but it is not because they don’t know what they are saying or doing. That is how they want it, and then they go ahead to punish Rwanda. That is where the ones who colonised us come in. They even mobilise other countries against us,” he said of Belgium.

“Belgians go to Kinshasa and point a finger towards Rwanda, and say they will impose sanctions on us, and also mobilise the world against Rwanda. They are shameless. Mobilising the world against Rwanda? With our small size. They should leave us alone; we are fighting for our lives,” President Kagame said.

President Kagame said Belgium has for many decades been against Rwanda, including rejecting designated Ambassadors on grounds that they had an issue with DRC, as well as many other acts aimed at hounding Rwanda in one way or another.

“Who put them in charge of us? I know Rwandans believe in God, but did God assign Rwandans to these people? We will remind them. We will confront those haranguing us.

Be prepared to fight

President Kagame urged Rwandans to prepare for the consequences of the actions of those who believe they have the lives of Rwandans in their hands and the power to give and take, in reference to the aid withdrawals and sanctions from Western countries over the DRC conflict.

He said Rwanda has gone through the worst of times in the past, including that time when Rwandans were killed in their millions, under the watch of the international community, and this period too should pass, urging citizens to remain resilient and fight for what is right and for their own dignity.

“There is nothing worse that can happen to us than what happened to us long ago. That is why you shouldn’t be scared,” President Kagame said, adding that over the years, Rwanda has overcome a lot of adversity and it should prevail again from the current situation.

“Our journey is always filled with different struggles. By struggles, I mean both the real battles we fight and the strategic thinking and actions we must take to develop our country and improve the lives of Rwandans. The real battle I mentioned earlier, you know it well, don’t you? How could you not? It is that same battle, the one that involves fire,” he told a thunderous BK Arena.

He told Rwandans that nothing should surprise them, emphasizing however the need to remain together and steadfast in the face of the new challenges.

“This is the life we lead; this is how our history has shaped us; we have to keep fighting this never ending battle, in all its different dimensions,” President Kagame said.

President said the same people wanted Rwanda to remain a failed and broken state, unable to heal from its past but when Rwandans defied that wish, they wanted the country to pay the price.

“They believe we must pay. They want to show us that they have the power to take us back to that same place,” he said, urging Rwandans to reject that.

The Head of State took time to interact with the citizens and hear their thoughts on the matter, as well as other issues, which he said Rwandans will continue to address on their own, minus those who seek to give and take at free will.

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