How Rwanda’s Authoritarian Diplomacy Isolates Its Own People

It was supposed to be a simple trip. In September, Ernest Bayisabe was due to start a course in Germany. Instead, the 24‑year‑old found himself stranded in Nairobi, uncertain if he would ever reach Europe. The Belgian embassy in Kigali, which processed visas for most Schengen countries, had been closed after Rwanda abruptly severed diplomatic ties with Belgium in March 2025. To lodge his student visa application, Bayisabe had to fly to Kenya, pay about €480 in travel costs, and wait weeks with no guarantee of success. “We don’t know if we should hope for this visa, despite all the money we’ve spent,” he told Radio France Internationale. (rfi france) “The procedure is longer and harder now.”

Bayisabe’s experience captures the human toll of President Paul Kagame’s increasingly confrontational diplomacy. When Kigali broke relations with Brussels in March, it gave Belgian diplomats 48 hours to leave and accused Belgium of mobilising “lies and manipulation” against Rwanda over the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

. Belgium responded by declaring Rwandan diplomats persona non grata and calling the move “disproportionate”

The diplomatic rupture was not about protecting ordinary citizens; it was about silencing European criticism of Rwanda’s role in Congo and dodging accountability for alleged war crimes. The fallout, however, has fallen squarely on students, workers, and families who now must travel abroad for visas, pay extra fees, and endure long waiting periods.

Diplomacy at Citizens’ Expense

Rwandan authorities justified the break as a defence of national sovereignty. Yet the consequences reveal a different story: a regime willing to sacrifice its citizens’ mobility for political posturing. With no Schengen visa service in Kigali, would‑be travellers must book flights and accommodation in Nairobi, submit biometrics and documents at a private visa centre, and then wait weeks for an answer. RFI’s reporting shows that even those with offers abroad are losing opportunities; one worker, Jules Munyaneza, said he had a job offer in Germany but missed the position because of processing delays, forcing him to enrol in language classes while hoping for a new chance.

Business leaders are equally alarmed. Christian Knoop, director of a German firm operating in Rwanda, told RFI he wrote to the German foreign ministry urging it to open a visa centre in Kigali. “We made Kigali the strategic centre of our services, and if this issue isn’t resolved quickly, it will impact our activities and those of other European companies here,” he warned. With almost all business visits by his Rwandan employees on hold, Knoop’s letter underscores how Kagame’s diplomatic gambit is hurting the very investment climate he touts as Rwanda’s economic miracle.

Isolation on the International Stage

Kagame’s confrontational posture has left Rwanda increasingly isolated. Relations with the Democratic Republic of Congo collapsed after Kinshasa accused Kigali of supporting the M23 rebel movement. The African Union and the UN have echoed those concerns, and the EU imposed sanctions on nine individuals and one entity, including senior Rwandan army commanders and the head of the state mining agency, for sustaining the conflict.

France24 reported that Belgium severed ties because Brussels believed Kigali had taken sides in the conflict and was undermining European efforts to broker peace. Even South Africa, a key regional power, has warned that further attacks on its peacekeepers in Congo could be treated as “a declaration of war”, prompting Kagame to retort that Rwanda would “deal with” any confrontation

Against this backdrop, the closure of Belgium’s embassy and the visa bottleneck in Nairobi amount to what some observers call “silent sanctions.” European governments have not formally banned Rwandan travellers, but by shutting down consular services and scaling back diplomatic engagement, they have effectively restricted mobility. It is ordinary Rwandans, students, spouses, businesspeople, who pay the price, not the officials responsible for shaping foreign policy.

Minerals Flow, People Don’t

The ironies of Kagame’s diplomacy are stark. While Rwandan citizens must travel abroad to submit visa applications, minerals flow freely from Rwanda to Europe and China. In February 2024, the European Commission signed a memorandum of understanding with Rwanda to develop “sustainable value chains” for critical raw minerals, despite warnings that coltan and other resources processed in Rwanda often come illicitly from Congo.

Amnesty International and other organisations have documented that the M23 rebel group, backed by Rwanda’s defence forces, commits gang‑rape, torture, and other atrocities while controlling mining areas in eastern Congo.

Yet the EU has been reluctant to suspend its minerals agreement, prompting Amnesty’s regional director to accuse Brussels of putting profits before Congolese lives.

This hypocrisy extends to Kigali. The Rwandan government profits from transiting Congo’s mineral wealth, an economy worth hundreds of millions of dollars, while depriving its own citizens of basic mobility. The EU eventually suspended defence consultations with Rwanda and sanctioned the head of the Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board, but the minerals memorandum remains under review. The situation reveals a regime more interested in preserving revenue streams than in ensuring that its people can study, work, or reunite with family abroad.

A Diplomacy Rooted in Authoritarianism

Kagame’s defenders portray him as a champion of African sovereignty, willing to stand up to Western hypocrisy. But sovereignty is not served by isolating citizens or by tolerating war crimes across the border. Belgium cut development aid after the diplomatic rupture, and other European investors are reconsidering their positions. Rwanda, once marketed as a regional hub, now risks becoming a pariah state, its airports crowded with travellers heading not to Paris or Berlin but to Nairobi to plead for permission to leave.

Nor can Kagame deflect responsibility by pointing to Western double standards. Yes, the EU has been inconsistent in condemning Rwanda’s abuses while maintaining lucrative minerals contracts. But that inconsistency should strengthen calls for accountability, not justify impunity. The African Center for Strategic Studies notes that South Africa blames Rwanda for the deaths of its peacekeepers and has warned of escalating conflict.

Human rights groups have recorded M23’s massacres and the Rwandan army’s involvement. The International Criminal Court has yet to indict those responsible for the 2004 Gatumba massacre or the 2022 Kishishe massacre, further emboldening Kigali.

Conclusion: A Strategy That Backfires

Kagame’s hardline diplomacy may play well to domestic audiences that resent Western meddling, but it is backfiring. By severing ties with Belgium and escalating tensions with neighbours, Rwanda has made it harder for its citizens to travel, study, or engage with the world. Students like Ernest Bayisabe are forced into bureaucratic limbo; workers like Jules Munyaneza miss job opportunities; businesses lose revenue; families are separated. Meanwhile, Rwanda’s support for M23 and its exploitation of Congo’s minerals draw international sanctions and condemnation.

True sovereignty comes from upholding human rights, promoting regional peace, and investing in citizens. Kagame’s current path delivers none of these. As long as Rwanda’s leaders choose confrontation over cooperation, the country’s isolation will deepen, and ordinary Rwandans will continue to pay the price.