The recent revelations concerning the expulsion of the last queen of Rwanda, Rosalie Gicanda, to Rwanda in 1994 cast a long and troubling shadow over Belgium's role in that nation's tragic history. Queen Gicanda, who was in Belgium for treatment, during the month of February 1994 received a letter from a local leader in Belgium instructing her to immediately return to Rwanda. He visa was still valid and calls by her caregivers to seek her stay on grounds of the strong medication she was taking, were blatantly ignored. ALSO READ Did Belgium send Queen Gicanda to her death in Rwanda? She was also prohibited from going to any other country in Europe where she could continue with her medication. Gicanda was killed within weeks of her arrival, a stark reminder of the dangers she faced in a country on the precipice of genocide. What is even more disturbing is the evidence of Belgium's apparent knowledge of these dangers. Early warning signs of the impending massacre were clear. At this time, the Genocide machine was already in motion; the Interahamwe militia had been trained and already on standby in communities where they lived and this is information that Belgians knew very well. ALSO READ: First Lady Jeannette Kagame pays tribute to late Queen Gicanda Ignoring these red flags, Belgium essentially sent a vulnerable individual to her death. This is not an isolated incident. The expulsion of Queen Gicanda echoes the actions of Belgian peacekeepers at the École Technique Officielle (ETO) in Kicukiro during the genocide. When Tutsis sought refuge there, the Belgian troops, entrusted with their protection, chose to flee. These unarmed civilians were then left at the mercy of the Interahamwe militia who massacred them with horrifying brutality, after making them walk to Nyanza hill in Kicukiro District. ALSO READ Children killed at former ETO-Kicukiro during Genocide honoured Belgium's history in Rwanda is deeply intertwined with the nation's descent into violence. A full and transparent accounting is a moral imperative. Rwandans deserve answers. They deserve to know the full extent of Belgium's knowledge about the looming genocide and its actions or lack thereof in the face of those warnings. Silence only serves to deepen the wounds of the past. Belgium must finally come clean. Disclosing the truth, no matter how uncomfortable, is the only path towards reconciliation. The world needs to see a renewed commitment from Belgium to transparency and accountability. This is not just about Rwanda; it's about upholding fundamental principles of humanity. By confronting its past actions, Belgium can begin to rebuild trust with the Rwandan people.
