The situation in Rwanda is becoming increasingly tense: at a political level, relations between Belgium and the Kigali government have completely broken down. Belgium, along with the European Parliament, had requested an end to the conflicts in Congo and sanctions on rare earth minerals, but this has only served to worsen relations between the two governments. Yesterday, an unexpected announcement came that all Belgian diplomats must leave Rwanda within 48 hours. Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot's response from Brussels was one of regret for what he considered a disproportionate measure, announcing similar actions. Rwanda was quick to provide its reasoning, explaining that the decision was based on a series of considerations, all linked to Belgium's "pathetic attempts to maintain its neocolonial delusions", as stated in a press release from the Kigali Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

From a sporting perspective, problems could arise regarding the upcoming World Championships in Rwanda, given that the Belgian company Golazo will be handling the logistics of the world event.

In Belgium, the news has created great alarm and immediate questions were raised with Golazo's management to understand what might happen.

"This is a political and diplomatic issue," said Gert Van Goolen (pictured, from LinkedIn), PR and communication manager at Golazo, to the Belgian press agency. I don't see how a diplomatic-political problem between Belgium and Rwanda could have implications for a cycling world championship organized by the UCI, an international sports federation. We will of course continue to monitor further developments and then see how to proceed."

Regarding possible developments, it is currently impossible to make predictions. Certainly, the war is several kilometers away from Kigali, but the European Parliament explicitly requested the cancellation of the cycling World Championships in Rwanda last February, and this scenario is intertwined with the very tense situation between Belgium and Rwanda. It must also be remembered that during the conflicts in Congo, one of the first embassies to be hit was that of Belgium. In addition to the Golazo situation, it remains to be seen what measures the Belgian government will take: if tensions between the two countries continue, the Belgian national team might even withdraw from the championships. The hope, of course, is that the war will cease and relations between Rwanda and Belgium will return to normal, but certainly neither of these outcomes seems easily achievable.