Rwanda insists it is open for talks with South Africa, but the conversations must not be distorted

The government of Republic of Rwanda insists there was no warning given during the two telephonic conversations between President Cyril Ramaphosa and President Paul Kagame.

On Wednesday, IOL reported that Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga told journalists in Pretoria that President Cyril Ramaphosa has issued a warning to Rwanda, saying continued hostilities against the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) members would be taken as a declaration of war.

South Africa lost 13 soldiers in the battle with the M23 rebels this month, while the United Nations reported that three Malawian soldiers who were part of the SADC Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (SAMIDRC) were also killed.

A Uruguayan soldier who was part of the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) also died in the battle with M23 rebel fighters. 

Rwanda is widely accused of backing the M23 rebels, but Kigali it consistently denies the reports.

On Thursday night, a spokesperson for the Rwandan government insisted that the claims of a “warning” purportedly issued by Ramaphosa to Kagame are simply not true.

“The president (Kagame) was very clear in his tweet in response to what President Ramaphosa had tweeted, and he felt that it was necessary to clarify and have on record that what put out after the call they had – it was the second call they have had in days – was incorrect and it misrepresented what they had discussed,” Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo spoke to broadcaster Newzroom Afrika from Kigali.

“For instance, President Ramaphosa told the president (Kagame) clearly, and I was privy to this, that it was the Congolese armed forces that shot at the South African forces. In his tweet, President Ramaphosa said the opposite.

“He (Ramaphosa) also said that he gave a warning to the president (Kagame). That did not happen. There was no warning during the phone call. He also said the SAMIDRC was a peacekeeping force … that is also incorrect,” she said.

She argued that the SAMIDRC which the SANDF is part of is not a peacekeeping mission but an offensive force.

“They are involved in active combat alongside the Congolese army and a coalition which includes genocidal militias who left Rwanda in 1994 and have recruited a younger generation of these hostile militants that have Rwanda as a target as well. There are Burundian forces in this coalition, and there are European mercenaries. You may have seen (videos of) almost 300 Romanian mercenaries that left Goma and transited through Rwanda. We gave them safe passage and they are heading back home now,” said Makolo.

“All this is happening right at our border, and these are decisions taken 2,000 kilometers away, in Kinshasa by the government of the DRC. The president (Kagame) found it necessary to clarify what they actually spoke about and also give some context of what we are dealing with here in Rwanda.”

On Thursday morning, IOL reported that in an unprecedented escalation of tensions between South Africa and Rwanda, Kagame had responded to Ramaphosa publicly, with Kagame accusing his Pretoria counterpart of distorting facts.

However, what was chilling about Kagame’s 11pm reaction to Ramaphosa on X, was his last paragraph. Kagame responded: “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 added: “And if South Africa prefers confrontation, Rwanda will deal with the matter in that context any day”.

In a lengthy message posted on X, Ramaphosa had mourned the killing of 13 “brave” South African 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),” said Ramaphosa.

Makolo told Newzroom Afrika that Kigali has an open door for future engagement with South Africa.

“We are open to talking, we have always been. President Kagame and President Ramaphosa have met many times and our lines are open and this is why they had two calls in a matter of days. This is good, that they are talking," she said.

“What is not good is to then go around and put out lies that contradict what was discussed and then confuse South African citizens and other Africans who deserve to know the truth of what is happening."

jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za

IOL