Since the 1960s, the Porte de Namur district, known as Matonge, has been a symbolic meeting point for Congolese arriving in Brussels. Over time, however, Congolese traders largely disappeared, replaced by Indian and Pakistani shopkeepers who now dominate the area’s commerce.

In recent times, the label “Rwandan” has increasingly been used to justify violence, exclusion, and political score-settling. More and more, it is applied to anyone who disagrees with those in power, turning dissenting voices into targets of suspicion and accusation.