The current unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo has turned into a bitter battle of utterances between Presidents Paul Kagame and Cyril Ramaphosa with both vying for recognition in their role in the DRC peace keeping mission.
The two leaders, who engaged in discussions earlier this week, later took to Twitter with contradicting statements, exposing a deepening diplomatic rift.
On Wednesday, 29 January 2025, President Ramaphosa posted a statement mourning 13 South African soldiers killed in the DRC while condemning what he called an ‘escalation of hostilities’ by the M23 rebel group and the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF).
“The fighting is the result of an escalation by the rebel group M23 and Rwanda Defence Force militia engaging the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) and attacking peacekeepers from the SADC Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC),” he stated.
He emphasized that South Africa’s military presence under SAMIDRC was part of peacekeeping efforts and called for an end to external interference.
“The territorial integrity of the DRC must be respected in accordance with the United Nations Charter,” Ramaphosa stated.
However, in a strong rebuttal, President Kagame dismissed Ramaphosa’s statement as misleading.
“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,” Kagame said.
He called out the South African leader for referring to Rwanda’s military as a militia, stating, “The Rwanda Defence Force is an army, not a militia.”
He further argued that SAMIDRC is not a peacekeeping force but a combat mission supporting the DRC government. Kagame accused SAMIDRC of working alongside groups hostile to Rwanda.
“SAMIDRC was authorized 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,” he said.
Kagame also rubbished claims that M23 was responsible for the deaths of South African soldiers.
“President Ramaphosa confirmed to me that M23 did not kill the soldiers from South Africa; FARDC did,” he stated.
He criticized South Africa’s role in the peace process, undermining its capability in handling a peacekeeping mission.
“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,” Kagame said.
On Monday, 27 January 2025, M23 captured the Congolese city of Goma following several days of intense fighting between the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels and the Congolese army for control of the city.
The controversial storylines from Kagame and Ramaphosa signify a deep rift and mistrust between Rwanda and South Africa in taking responsibility for the ongoing DRC conflict.
This also raises concerns about the viability of ongoing peace efforts in eastern DRC, with multiple armed groups continuing to battle for control. SADC and the African Union are yet to comment on the escalating dispute.
