Kigali/Pretoria – A full-blown diplomatic crisis has erupted between Rwanda and South Africa after Presidents Paul Kagame and Cyril Ramaphosa engaged in an unprecedented public confrontation on X (formerly Twitter) over the escalating conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The online spat saw Kagame directly challenge South Africa’s military role in the region, accuse Ramaphosa of misrepresenting facts, and issue a veiled threat, making it clear that if South Africa wants confrontation, Rwanda is ready to respond.
The dramatic exchange began when President Cyril Ramaphosa took to Twitter, using his official handle @CyrilRamaphosa to address the South African public following the deaths of 13 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers in eastern DRC. Blaming the escalation on the M23 rebel group and the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), Ramaphosa declared:
“Fellow South Africans, following the recent intensification of fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa has lost 13 brave soldiers who were dedicated to their mission and committed to peace.
The fighting is the result of an escalation by the rebel group M23 and 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).”
“On behalf of the government and the people of our country, I express our sincerest condolences to their families, their loved ones and colleagues. We bow our heads in honor of their heroic and gallant fight for peace. We honour and mourn them.”
Ramaphosa reassured the families of the fallen soldiers that the South African government was providing all necessary support, including the process of repatriating their remains.
He also acknowledged casualties from other countries, saying, “The attacks on peacekeepers resulted in the deaths of SAMIDRC members from other troop-contributing countries, namely Malawi and Tanzania, as well as members of the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) brigade. We honour all the lives that were lost and pass our condolences to their families, governments and citizens.”
The South African president painted a dire picture of the battlefield, warning that “the situation in Goma and Sake, where our troops and their counterparts are stationed, remains very tense, volatile and unpredictable.”
He assured the nation that Defence Minister Angie Motshekga, SANDF Chief General Rudzani Maphwanya, and SAMIDRC Force Commander Major General Monwabisi Dyakopu were working to ensure that South African forces remained well-equipped and supported.
Rejecting any speculation about South Africa’s military role, Ramaphosa insisted, “South Africa’s military presence in the eastern DRC is not a declaration of war against any country or state. The members of the South African National Defence Force 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.”
He welcomed the United Nations Security Council’s latest resolution calling 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.” He concluded by reaffirming, “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 honoring the Luanda Process agreements. We must silence the guns on our continent for the attainment of inclusive development and prosperity.”
Within hours, Rwandan President Paul Kagame fired back in a defiant and combative Twitter thread, using his handle @PaulKagame openly accusing Ramaphosa and his government of distorting facts and even lying about their discussions. Kagame wrote:
“I held two conversations this week with President Ramaphosa on the situation in Eastern DRC, including earlier today. 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.”
He proceeded to refute Ramaphosa’s statements point by point, starting with South Africa’s characterization of the Rwanda Defence Force.
“The Rwanda Defence Force is an army, not a militia,” Kagame declared, rejecting any suggestion that Rwandan troops were irregular forces.
In his most damning criticism, Kagame dismissed SAMIDRC as an illegitimate force, stating, “SAMIDRC is not a peacekeeping force, and it has no place in this situation. It 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.”
Kagame further blamed SADC for undermining diplomacy, claiming, “SAMIDRC displaced a true peacekeeping force, the East African Community Regional Force, and this contributed to the failure of the negotiation processes.”
Taking direct aim at Ramaphosa, Kagame scoffed at the idea that he had received any warning from South Africa.
“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.”
Then came Kagame’s most explosive claim, directly contradicting Ramaphosa’s narrative about who was responsible for the deaths of SANDF soldiers.
“President Ramaphosa confirmed to me that M23 did not kill the soldiers from South Africa, FARDC did.”
The Rwandan president closed his response with a chilling warning, making it clear that Rwanda would not tolerate South Africa’s actions in the DRC. “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’s words amounted to a direct challenge, essentially inviting South Africa for war should it continue its military involvement in eastern DRC. The public nature of the exchange has left analysts stunned, as such heated diplomatic disputes are rarely conducted so openly between heads of state.
With South African troops engaged in fierce battles against M23, the conflict in eastern DRC is now at a dangerous crossroads.
The United Nations, African Union, and regional stakeholders now face the daunting task of preventing this war of words from escalating into an all-out confrontation between two militaries.
Whether Kagame’s invitation to war will be answered remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: relations between Rwanda and South Africa have reached their lowest point in decades.
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