The world has been taken aback with South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa and Rwanda President Paul Kagame’s quarrel on social media site X over the course of last evening.
The undiplomatic spat has arisen from the capture of the city of Goma by the M23 rebel forces that the United Nations, the United States of America, and South Africa accuse the Kigali government of supporting.
In what irked Kagame, his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa while commiserating with the South African people for the loss of 13 men of their army blamed the deaths on “the rebel group M23, and the 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).”
In a rejoinder, Kagame said what has been reported by “the South African president contains a lot of distortion, deliberate attacks, and even lies…”
He went on to give “a few important clarifications, for the record.” First, that Rwanda Defence Force is an army, not a militia. Secondly, that SAMIDRC is not a peacekeeping force, but was authorised by SADC as a combat force.
Thirdly, that SAMIDRC displaced a true peacekeeping force, provided by the East African Community (EAC).
In his sixth and last point, Kagame told off South Africa that it is in no position to take on the role of peacemaker or mediator. “And if South Africa prefers confrontation, Rwanda will deal with the matter in that context any day.”
Regional Summits
The EAC regional body held an extra-ordinary summit to discuss the urgent crisis in Eastern Congo, virtually.
Here, Kagame lashed out at his enemies. But the President of the DRC, Felix Tshisekedi shunned it, saying that it collided with other scheduled meetings.
In the meeting, the summit among other resolutions urged the Congolese government “to protect diplomatic missions, lives and property.”
The summit also called on all parties to the conflict to cease hostilities and observe immediate and unconditional ceasefire. They also “strongly urged” the DRC government to directly engage with all stakeholders that have grievances.
They closed by asking for a joint summit with the Southern African Development (SADC) since it has been involved in the skirmishes.
Meanwhile the SADC has also called for an extraordinary Heads of State meeting in the Zimbabwe capital, Harare on January 31, 2025.
It is highly anticipated that the Congo Crisis will be on the agenda.
No Love Lost
Rwanda and South Africa have had a love-hate relationship for long, with many of Rwandan dissidents and opposition leaders seeking asylum in South Africa.
Prominent opposers of Kagame rule like General Kayumba Nyamwasa and the late colonel Patrick Karegeya have built base in South Africa.
On several occasions South Africa has accused Rwanda of assassination attempts against them. With a court judgment accusing Rwandan spies of having a hand in the death of Col. Karegeya in 2013.
South Africa has also had immense influence in Kinshasa, since the mid-1990s, playing pivotal roles in the two Congo wars and the fall of Mobutu.
