Rwanda severed diplomatic ties on Monday with its former colonial ruler, Belgium, which has been pushing to penalize Rwanda over its invasion of the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo.
Rwanda’s Foreign Ministry gave Belgian diplomats 48 hours to leave the country.
The diplomatic escalation came as the European Union, at the urging of Belgium, on Monday imposed sanctions against Rwandan military and government officials for their involvement in the conflict in Congo.
“Belgium has clearly taken sides in a regional conflict and continues to systematically mobilize against Rwanda in different forums,” Rwanda’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The European Union accused Rwandan officials of fueling the conflict through the presence of Rwandan troops in eastern Congo and the plundering of Congo’s mineral resources. The sanctions were Europe’s first steps toward increasing pressure on Rwanda, though so far it has maintained close cooperation on security and strategic minerals.
“Belgium has been taking the lead in Europe in advocating for sanctions against Rwanda,” said Kristof Titeca, a professor of international development at the University of Antwerp. At the same time, he added, “the European Union did the minimum with these sanctions on individuals — it still remain pretty harmless.”
The Belgian foreign minister, Maxime Prévot, said in a statement that Rwanda’s response “is disproportionate and shows that when we disagree with Rwanda, they prefer not to engage in dialogue.” He said Belgium would respond in kind to the expulsion of its diplomats.
The United States, the European Union and the United Nations say Rwanda has been funding, supporting and commanding an armed rebel group, M23, that has fought government forces in eastern Congo for more than a decade and launched a new offensive there in January.
M23 now controls the region’s two largest cities, border crossings with Rwanda and access to key natural resources, including one of the world’s largest coltan mines. Coltan is a mineral that is vital to making smartphones and other electronic devices. M23 is in charge of an area in eastern Congo that is the size of Greece or Louisiana.
M23 leaders and Congolese government officials are scheduled to meet on Tuesday in Angola for the first peace talks between the two warring parties in years.
The latest wave of violence has killed thousands and displaced more than 500,000 people since the beginning of the year, according to the U.N.’s refugee agency.
Despite widespread evidence shared by U.N. experts and independent researchers that thousands of Rwandan troops are deployed in Congo and that Rwanda supplies weapons to M23, Rwanda has denied backing M23.
Rwanda, a country of 14 million whose economic growth is often viewed as a success story in Africa, remains heavily dependent on external assistance. More than a quarter of its national budget of $4 billion comes from foreign aid, according to the World Bank — about $1.25 billion on average over the past several years.
Britain and Germany have withheld aid to Rwanda, and Canada has suspended some export activities.
On Monday, the European Union imposed sanctions on a Rwandan gold refinery and five Rwandans, including Francis Kamanzi, the chief executive officer of the Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board. The bloc has accused Rwanda of mixing minerals plundered from Congo with its own production.
Also sanctioned were Ruki Karusisi, the commander of Rwanda’s special forces, which U.N. experts say oversee M23 units on the ground; and two high-ranking military officials, Désiré Rukomera and Eugene Nkubito.
Yet, Rwanda’s government has mostly remained defiant, and on Monday it accused Belgium of “neocolonial delusions.” Over the past decade, the East African country has cultivated economic and military relationships with a wide range of countries — including Singapore, Turkey and Qatar — beyond its traditional Western partners.
It has portrayed itself as a safe and stable haven in a volatile region, attracting tourism and investment. Last month, finance executives from across Africa met in Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, for a financial technology conference, and cyclists from across the world raced through the country’s lush hills as part of the Tour of Rwanda.
“Rwanda has flexed its muscles at any criticism and signaled, ‘We’re not afraid by sanctions; they’re not having any effect,’” said Mr. Titeca, the professor at the University of Antwerp. “But that strong reaction actually shows that it might have some effect.”
