Kagame to Ramaphosa: South Africa is no peacemaker – prepare for confrontation if necessary

Paul Kagame

Cape Town – Tensions between South Africa and Rwanda have escalated after Rwandan President Paul Kagame accused President Cyril Ramaphosa of distorting facts regarding the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Kagame reacted strongly to Ramaphosa’s statement mourning the deaths of 13 South African soldiers and condemning the Rwandan Defence Force (RDF) for allegedly supporting M23 rebels.

Ramaphosa referred to the RDF as a “militia”, sparking Kagame’s late-night response on X, where he dismissed South Africa’s role as a peacemaker and warned that Rwanda was prepared for confrontation if necessary.

“The fighting is the result of an escalation by the rebel group M23 and Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) militia engaging the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) and attacking peacekeepers from the SADC Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC),” said Ramaphosa.

In response, Kagame said:

“I held two conversations this week with President Ramaphosa on the situation in Eastern DRC, including earlier today. What has been said about these conversations in the media by South African officials and President Ramaphosa himself contains a lot of distortion, deliberate attacks, and even lies.

“If words can change so much from a conversation to a public statement, it says a lot about how these very important issues are being managed,” Kagame said.

He added: “SAMIDRC is not a peacekeeping force, and it has no place in this situation. It was authorised by SADC as a belligerent force engaging in offensive combat operations to help the DRC Government fight against its own people, working alongside genocidal armed groups like FDLR which target Rwanda, while also threatening to take the war to Rwanda itself.”

Kagame also accused South Africa of siding with the DRC government and working with armed groups that threaten Rwanda.

He also claimed that South Africa lacks the authority to serve as a peacemaker or mediator and cautioned that if Pretoria opts for confrontation, Rwanda will not hesitate to respond.

“If South Africa wants to contribute to peaceful solutions, that is well and good, but South Africa is in no position to take on the role of a peacemaker or mediator. And if South Africa prefers confrontation, Rwanda will deal with the matter in that context any day.”

Ramaphosa reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to peace and confirmed that efforts to repatriate fallen SANDF soldiers were underway.

The situation remains tense as diplomatic relations between the two nations continue to deteriorate.

Follow African Insider on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Picture: X/@Knowless1butera

For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com

Compiled by Betha Madhomu

Article written by