Kagame Declares South Africa Unfit to Mediate in DRC Conflict

Tensions between Rwanda and South Africa have reached a critical level after Rwandan President Paul Kagame issued a stern warning to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa over the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Kagame declared that Rwanda is prepared for "confrontation" if necessary, rejecting South Africa's role as a mediator in the ongoing crisis.

“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,” Kagame stated on Thursday morning. He added, “And if South Africa prefers confrontation, Rwanda will deal with the matter in that context any day." The comments came after Ramaphosa accused the Rwandan Defence Force (RDF) and M23 rebels of escalating violence in the DRC and attacking peacekeepers from the SADC Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC). Ramaphosa lamented the loss of 13 South African soldiers, describing them as “brave soldiers who were dedicated to their mission and committed to peace."

Kagame dismissed Ramaphosa’s accusations as misleading, accusing South Africa of distorting facts about their private discussions. “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 stated on X (formerly Twitter). He also rejected claims that RDF forces are militias, asserting that they are part of Rwanda’s national defense.

Ramaphosa, meanwhile, reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to its military presence in the DRC, emphasizing that SAMIDRC was deployed to restore stability. “South Africa’s military presence in the eastern DRC is not a declaration of war against any country or state,” he said. Ramaphosa also called for external forces, including Rwanda, to withdraw from Congolese territory in line with a UN Security Council resolution.