By Ignatius Rwiyemaho Kabagambe

Dear Belgium,

As Rwanda concludes the week of mourning for the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, I write this letter not just as a citizen remembering our darkest hour, but as one reflecting deeply on history, responsibility, and what it means to move forward.

Belgium’s role in sowing the seeds of ethnic division in Rwanda is a historical fact that has been highlighted time and again.

From the colonial era, the policies and actions of your administration did not only divide a united people but laid the foundation for decades of hatred, violence, and suffering, culminating in the Genocide of 1994.

I was born to Rwandan refugee parents, exiled because of the very divisions Belgium institutionalized. As a child, I often heard the name “Belgium” mentioned not with admiration, but with bitterness.

My parents, like many others, spoke of your country with deep resentment, as a symbol of betrayal and pain. Yet, Rwanda, under a new vision of unity and reconciliation since 1994, chose to take a different path.

Belgium, in the eyes of many, became just another former colonizer, a country Rwanda could work with as a development partner. In the spirit of progress, Rwanda put aside much of its anger and chose cooperation, even as more attention was placed on France’s role in the Genocide.

However, recent developments have forced a reawakening of historical truths. Belgium’s increasingly aggressive stance against Rwanda, particularly in relation to the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, has brought painful memories back to the surface.

Your alignment with Kinshasa in painting Rwanda as the source of regional instability has not only been unjust but deeply provocative. It is important to state clearly that the conflict in eastern DRC has complex roots, many of which trace back to colonial policies and legacies, including those of Belgium.

It is, therefore, deeply ironic that Belgium now leads the charge in accusing Rwanda, conveniently ignoring its own historical responsibility in shaping the crises that persist today.

As a result, a new generation of Rwandans, many of whom knew little about Belgium’s past role, is now awakening to the full picture. What was once a distant chapter is now a relevant and painful reminder.

The narrative is changing. Belgium is being seen not as a neutral actor, but as one whose legacy and present actions remain deeply entangled in the suffering of Rwandans.

Let it be clearly known that Rwanda is not a country that turns the other cheek when wronged. The Rwanda of today is resilient, dignified, and fiercely protective of its sovereignty.

Attempts to isolate or punish us on the global stage will not go unanswered. This is not because we seek conflict, but because we refuse to be demeaned or falsely accused by those who once betrayed us and continue to do so in more sophisticated ways.

This is not a message of hate, but of truth. If genuine reconciliation and cooperation are to continue between our nations, Belgium must take a hard look at its actions, both past and present, and the enduring impact they have on the people of Rwanda.

The author is a concerned Rwandan citizen