A Frenchman is expected to be appointed European Union ambassador to Rwanda. His mission: to ease tensions between Brussels and Kigali, strained by the latter’s support for the AFC-M23 in the DRC, Africa Intelligence reported.
The French diplomat tipped to head the European Union (EU) delegation in Kigali is Jérémie Blin.
His appointment is expected in the summer of 2026, succeeding the Spaniard Belén Calvo Uyarra, who has held the position since September 2022. Mr. Blin’s main mission is to manage the fallout from several recent incidents that have strained EU-Rwanda relations:
1. Support for the M23/AFC: The EU has officially asked Rwanda to cease its support for the M23, which is accused of massive human rights violations and destabilizing eastern DRC.
2. Mining controversy over the MoU: A 2024 Memorandum of Understanding between the EU and Rwanda on critical raw materials has provoked a strong reaction from Kinshasa, which accuses the agreement of facilitating the laundering of minerals smuggled from the DRC.
3. EU Aid to Peacekeeping Missions: The EU’s allocation of €20 million to the Rwandan army for its operations in Mozambique (via the European Peace Facility) has been strongly criticized by those who believe these funds indirectly support Rwandan activities in the DRC.
Profile of Jérémie Blin
Jérémie Blin is a career diplomat with extensive experience in the Great Lakes region. He currently serves as Secretary General of the Africa Forward Summit, scheduled to take place in Nairobi in May 2026.
Previously, he was Chargé d’Affaires at the French Embassy in Kigali. Blin left Kigali in 2021 following the appointment of Antoine Anfré as France’s first ambassador to Rwanda since 2015. He then served as France’s ambassador to Burundi (from 2021 to 2024) before assuming his current position as Secretary General of the 2026 France-Africa Summit.
If confirmed, this appointment marks a significant step for French diplomacy, which seeks to strengthen its influence within EU representations in Africa. The future ambassador will notably be tasked with managing relations between Brussels and the government of Paul Kagame in a complex regional context.
Aimé Binda
