Rwanda Criticizes Belgian MP Over Meeting With Paul Rusesabagina

Kigali Rwanda, February 10, 2026 - Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Olivier Nduhungirehe, has condemned Belgian lawmaker Lydia Mutyebele Ngoi after she publicly expressed support for Paul Rusesabagina, who was convicted in Rwanda on terrorism-related charges.

On February 9, Mutyebele announced she had received Rusesabagina at the Belgian Parliament in Brussels, describing him as “a powerful voice for human rights” and thanking him for supporting the Democratic Republic of the Congo in its fight against the M23/AFC alliance, which she accused of seeking control of mineral resources.

In response, Nduhungirehe posted a list of civilians killed by the FLN, the armed group linked to Rusesabagina, arguing that praising him disregards victims of attacks carried out in southwestern Rwanda.

“Fighting for dignity clearly means supporting criminals convicted of terrorism,” the minister wrote, criticizing what he described as indifference toward victims of the FLN’s violence.

Rusesabagina - a former head of the MRCD coalition - was arrested in Kigali in August 2020 and later convicted by Rwanda’s High Court chamber for international crimes for terrorism-related offenses, including backing attacks in 2018 and 2019. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

On March 24, 2023, he was released following a presidential pardon granted by President Paul Kagame, after requesting specialized medical treatment. He currently resides in San Antonio, Texas, and holds permanent U.S. residency as well as Belgian citizenship.

The exchange underscores ongoing diplomatic tensions surrounding Rusesabagina’s case, which continues to draw sharply divided reactions among political figures internationally.