From the Rwandan government’s perspective, the 2025 UCI Road World Championships in Kigali is supposed to show that the country has changed, that its reputation as an authoritarian nation with a poor human rights record is out of date with reality. However, even before one pedal has been turned in anger, that ambition appears shaky, due to the denial of entry of a Belgian journalist who has criticised Rwanda in the past.
Stijn Vercruysse was due to travel to Kigali on Friday to report on the Worlds for Flemish public broadcaster VRT, but was unable to go any further than the check-in desk at Zaventem airport in Brussels. Vercruysse is the Africa expert within the foreign affairs team at VRT.
He told colleagues at the airport that he had planned to “report critically on the host country, which ultimately has a very authoritarian regime.
"We were going to tell the truth through nuanced reporting on the sidelines of the World Championships. That won't be possible now, and that perhaps says something about the authoritarian nature of the regime in Rwanda.
"As a journalist, I'm not allowed to leave," Vercruysse added. "The Rwandan government has forbidden the airline from letting me on the plane."
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