### Rwanda, Belgium and the specter of sanctions: a complex geopolitical issue
The speech of Rwandan President Paul Kagame, pronounced on March 17, 2025 in Kigali, reveals much more than a simple confrontation between two nations. It highlights a complex geopolitical context at the heart of tensions in Central Africa, while raising questions about the role of colonial history and international intervention in the dynamics of regional conflicts. While international sanctions have become a heavy reality for Rwanda, Kagame’s response raises crucial historical and identity issues.
#### The Historical Dimension
Kagame vehemently evokes the Belgian colonial heritage, pointing to a story marked by unjust territorial delimitations and exacerbated ethnic divisions. Indeed, Rwanda, during the colonial period, was fragmented by colonial policies which largely favored an ethnicity to the detriment of another, establishing the bases of the conflicts which followed. Kagame’s quote on the “size of such a small country” resonates not only as a complaint from a leader in the face of what he perceives as injustice, but also refers to a reflection on collective memory and its manipulation for political purposes.
The perception of Rwanda as a war actor in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) must also be analyzed in the light of this history. The Congo, rich in natural resources, has long been a field of struggle for various factions, often supported by external powers, whose vestiges of colonization still persist today. Thus, efforts to place Rwanda as guilty in the Congolese conflict should be examined in the context of a broader war on African resources, where external actors continue to play a decisive role.
### sanctions and their implications
The imposition of sanctions by countries like Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom refers to an increasingly used coercive diplomacy tool on the international scene. These sanctions, although often justified by human rights violations or acts of aggression, can have catastrophic consequences for the civilian population. Since the start of hostilities between Rwanda and the M23 rebels, the humanitarian situation has deteriorated, with a tragic assessment exceeding 7,000 lives. Don’t the sanctions run the risk of aggravating the suffering of these vulnerable populations, while applying pressure on governments? This aspect is often overlooked in the context of debates on the legitimacy of sanctions.
#### A conflict in a greater chessboard
The crisis in eastern DRC cannot be dissociated from regional rivalries in Central Africa. By paying tribute to the intervention of the Angolan president João Lourenço as mediator for peace talks, we discover a world where geopolitical issues are constantly in motion. Angola, formerly ravaged by war, now plays a stabilizing role, which raises the question of whether the old colonial powers, like Belgium, are really well placed to claim a moral position on this conflict.
Regarding Belgium, the country carries the burden of a complex and often painful colonial history. The way he manages his relations with Rwanda and the DRC cannot be dissociated from his past. The fact that Belgium seems to mobilize the international community against Rwanda could be perceived as an attempt to restore its image after decades of criticism on its role in the war and the genocide in the DRC. However, this approach could also be interpreted as a repetition of past errors, rather placing geopolitical interests above human realities.
#### Conclusion
Paul Kagame’s speech is not only a fight against sanctions – it is a defense of national sovereignty and a criticism of the ills of foreign interference. More importantly, it highlights the complexity of post-colonial relations in Africa. Far from simple accusations, what is played out at the moment is a reflection of a complicated story, constantly reinterpreted according to contemporary issues. Central Africa, formerly dominated by the colonial powers, today seeks to regain control of its story. Thus, to understand Rwanda and its role in the Congolese crisis, it is imperative to look towards the past while anticipating the future implications of political actions, both inside and outside its borders.