Belgium and Rwanda restore diplomatic ties as Qatar claims a diplomatic win

Belgium and Rwanda have restored diplomatic relations 18 months after expelling each other’s diplomats over the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, crediting Qatar with hosting the talks that broke the deadlock.

In a joint statement on Tuesday, the two countries thanked Qatar for facilitating their first talks in June 2025, which led to further diplomatic rapprochement, Al Jazeera reported.

Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari, speaking to Al Jazeera on Tuesday, welcomed the restoration of ties and said Doha would keep pushing for diplomacy “from Africa’s Great Lakes region to the Gulf”. He said Qatar had long been involved in the region, including mediating between the DRC, Rwanda and the M23 armed group, and hosting the June 2025 talks in Doha.

“It was a breakthrough meeting between the two foreign ministers, who hadn’t met for a while, addressing a lot of underlying issues,” al-Ansari said.

“We do believe that there is no alternative to diplomacy, and we cannot afford to let diplomacy fail,” he added.

Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani told the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday that Qatar as a mediator had always sought to resolve disputes through dialogue and reach “just and fair solutions grounded in international law”.

Sources

• Al Jazeera (23 Sept 2026): “Qatar says ‘no alternative to diplomacy’ as Belgium and Rwanda restore ties” (opened in full)