Rwanda cuts ties with Belgium, orders diplomats to leave

Rwanda said Monday it had given Belgian diplomats 48 hours to leave the country after cutting ties with Brussels.

In a statement, Kigali's foreign affairs ministry accused Belgium of interference.

''Belgium has consistently undermined Rwanda, both well before and during the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in which Belgium has a deep and violent historical role, especially in acting against Rwanda,'' the statement read in part.

Belgium recently froze aid and suspended trade agreements over Kigali's aggression in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo.

In a press conference in Kigali on Sunday, Rwanda's President Paul Kagame struck a defiant tone, saying the east African country would defend its interests against interference by foreign countries.

Kagame singled out Belgium, which ruled Rwanda as a colony until 1962, saying it had committed atrocities against Rwandans, vowing to fight back against its 'neo-colonial interference'.

Kigali has faced increased international scrutiny over its role in the conflict in eastern Congo where its proxy rebel force controls two resource-rich provinces.