Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame has lashed out at President Cyril Ramaphosa after he referred to the Rwanda Defence Force as a militia.
In what could be interpreted as a collapse of diplomatic relations between the two African states, Kagame is also accusing Ramaphosa of lying, making deliberate attacks and distorting their conversation on the deadly DRC conflict.
War of words
The war of words comes as the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) rages on and recently claimed the lives of 13 SA National Defence Force members who are on a peacekeeping mission.
A militia is a trained civilian army that is not governed by the government or an official reserve army that is called upon in times of need.
In a strongly worded statement on social media X, Kagame said South Africa is in no position to play a peacemaker or mediator role.
Kagame also branded the Southern African Development Community’s (SADAC) peacekeepers as belligerent forces engaging in offensive combat to help the DRC government.
Kigali will respond if confronted
Kagame has warned that if South Africa wants confrontation, Kigali will respond accordingly.
“I held two conversations this week with President Ramaphosa on the situation in Eastern DRC. 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. A few important clarifications for the record are that the Rwanda Defence Force is an army, not a militia.
“Southern African Development in the Democratic Republic of Congo (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 Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, which target Rwanda, while also threatening to take the war to Rwanda itself.
No warning issued
“SAMIDRC displaced a true peacekeeping force, the East African Community Regional Force, and this contributed to the failure of the negotiation processes. President Ramaphosa has never given a ‘warning’ of any kind, unless it was delivered in his local language, which I do not understand.
“He did ask for support to ensure the South African force has adequate electricity, food and water, which we shall help communicate. President Ramaphosa confirmed to me that M23 did not kill the soldiers from South Africa, FARDC did.
“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,” he said.
Kagame has continuously denied supporting the M23 militia despite multiple reports from the UN and western intelligence agencies and aerial photographs showing collusion between M23 and Rwandan forces.
SA’s presence in DRC is not declaration of war
Ramaphosa said South Africa’s military presence in the eastern DRC is not a declaration of war against any country or state.
“The members of the SANDF that are in the DRC are part of both SADC and United Nations efforts to bring peace and protect thousands of lives that are constantly threatened by the conflict in the DRC.
“The presence of the SAMIDRC forces demonstrates a commitment of SADC member states to supporting the DRC in its efforts to achieve lasting peace and stability and ultimately, create an enabling environment for sustainable development and prosperity.
“We welcome the position that was recently adopted by the United Nations Security Council during its special sitting on the situation in the DRC, which calls for an immediate end to hostilities, the reversal of territorial expansion by the M23, the exit of external forces from the DRC and the resumption of peace talks under the Nairobi Process, Ramaphosa said.
Ramaphosa said the territorial integrity of the DRC must be respected in accordance with the United Nations Charter on the respect of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of other states.
“We call on all parties to this conflict to fully embrace the current diplomatic efforts that are aimed at finding a peaceful resolution, including honouring the Luanda Process agreements. We must silence the guns on our continent for the attainment of inclusive development and prosperity,” he said.
