Ramaphosa, Kagame trade barbs over Rwanda-backed siege in Congo

Kigali and Pretoria have a history of strained relations.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame accused his South African counterpart of “lies” and “distortion” over comments about the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, ratcheting up tensions between the two leaders amid regional efforts to secure a ceasefire.

Kagame accused South African officials of mis-characterising his talks with President Cyril Ramaphosa about the situation in Congo, blasting Pretoria in a statement posted on X on Wednesday. The Rwanda-backed M23 militia invaded the city of Goma on January 27 and at least 13 South African soldiers have died fighting alongside United Nations and southern African forces trying bring peace to the region.

“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, referring to his discussions with Ramaphosa this week.

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“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,” he said. “And if South Africa prefers confrontation, Rwanda will deal with the matter in that context any day.”

Rwanda denies backing M23 or having troops in Congo. The M23 say they’re defending the rights of ethnic Tutsis and other speakers of the Rwandan language in Congo and fighting against a rebel group with links to the perpetrators of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, who killed more than 800 000 people, mainly Tutsis.

South African Defence Minister Angie Motshekga said on Wednesday that Ramaphosa had warned Kagame that any attacks on South African troops in Congo would be regarded as “a declaration of war.” No such “warning” was delivered, Kagame said.

The Rwandan leader also objected to Ramaphosa referring to Rwanda’s army as a “militia” in a statement posted on X on Wednesday. The same statement posted on the South African presidency’s website omits the word “militia.”

Kigali and Pretoria have a history of strained relations. In 2014, South Africa expelled several Rwandan diplomats for alleged illegal acts after the murder and attempted killing of opponents of Kagame’s administration. In 2021, the Rwandan government was accused of spying on Ramaphosa using Pegasus spyware. Kigali denied the accusation.

Kagame has held power for the past quarter century. While he’s been praised for his management of Rwanda’s economy and making it easier to invest and do business, human-rights activists have criticised him for cracking down on civil rights and silencing dissent.

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