South Africa and Rwanda go head over the war of Dr. Congo

South Africa and Rwanda’s already executed diplomatic relations have worsened after President Cyril Ramafosa has accused the Rwanda -backed M23 of the South African Peacekeeping Murder in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

As the rebels acquired the upper hand in the battlefield, taking over the bigger part of the Goma, the largest city of East Africa launched a diplomatic ZALV, warning that the more current attacks on its troops would be considered a “declaration of war”.

Rwanda Paid Paul Kagame responded back, accusing South Africa of being part of a “warlike power” involved in “offensive combat operations” to help the Congoy government “fight their own people.”

A total of 13 South African soldiers were killed in the fighting last week, as the rebels made a lightning -fast progress to Goma, the main shopping center on the border with Rwanda.

Last year, seven other South Africans were killed in the Eastern Dr. Congo -which makes him one of the most deadly tragedies associated with a fighting lately.

South Africa and Rwanda have long had a difficult relationship.

In 2014 South Africa expelled Three diplomats from Rwanda after an attack on the home of the exhausted dissident in Rwanda in Johannesburg.

The Kagame Government answered by expelling six South African envoys.

At first glance, the tension was relieved after Ramafosa’s visit to Rwanda last year for commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the genocide, which killed about 800,000 people.

But they fell again after the death of the South Africans, who were located in East Dr. Congo in December 2023 as part of regional peace forces sent by the South African Development Community (SADC)

The South African soldiers make up the greater part of the power – known by the abbreviation Samidrk – who had the mission to repel armed groups such as M23 and bring peace to the mineral -rich region after decades of unrest.

The last diplomatic fall began with a publication shared on Ramafosa’s page.

In it, the president confirmed that he had talked to Kagame of the escalating conflict and that both leaders agreed “about the urgent need to end the fire and the resumption of peace talks from all sides in the conflict.”

Ramafos also insisted in a later statement that the presence of South African troops in the Congo is not a “declaration of war against any state or state” -an apparent reference to Rwanda.

However, South Africa Defense Minister Angi Mothekga had a slightly different look, telling reporters: “There were no hostilities between us, just when they fired at our heads, the president warned them (this) if we go to shoot, we will accept This as a statement of war. “

But Ramafosa went further on X, Saying that the peacekeepers were killed in attacks on M23 and – he emphasized – “The Redanda Defense Police (RDF)”.

This angered Kagame, who said that statements made by South African officials – including Ramafosa, contain lies and distortions.

“Rwanda defense forces are an army, not a militia,” Kagam answers to xS

“President Ramafosa never gave a” warning “of any kind, unless he was delivered to his local language, which I do not understand. He requested support to ensure that South African forces have adequate electricity, food and water that we will be to help you communicate.

“President Ramafosa has confirmed to me that the M23 does not kill South Africa soldiers, (the Consignal Army) Fardc did,” Kagame said.

He added that the regional peacekeepers, who include troops from Tanzania and Malawi – are a “belligerent power” working together with “genocidal armed groups” aimed at Rwanda and has no “place in this situation”.

Kagam closed his prolonged statement, saying that South Africa is not in “there is no position to take on the role of a peacemaker or intermediary” and if the country wants a confrontation, Rwanda “will” deal with the question in this context every day. “

Kagame’s comments clearly suggest that he wants South Africa to retreat from Congo, where his military participation dates from the late 1990s.

He first joined the UN’s peacekeeping mission, after the end of the Apartheid racist system in 1994.

At that time, the military in South Africa had just emerged from being regarded as “high-efficiency of apartheid for wartime” to “peacetime”, left to fight reduced funding and “lack of political direction” , Thomas Mandop, as well as an associate professor at Stellenbosch University in the country, told the BBC.

While South Africa stated that his participation in Congo is guided by the need to “contribute to the stability” of a colleague member of SADC, defense analyst Dean Wingrin said the country’s economic interests also influenced his decision.

“The DRC is a very large trading partner with (USA) because Eastern DRC is so rich in minerals. We import many minerals … from DRC, so South Africa is interested in peaceful DRC,” he told the BBC.

While Monusco’s mission was largely related to the maintenance of peace, the escalation of tension in the region led to the creation of the power intervention brigade in 2013 for “active engagement” with numerous armed groups in Eastern Congo.

This intervention was initially successful in repulsing the M23, the most famous rebel group.

This is partly due to the deployment of the attacking aircraft in South Africa – Rooovalk – which had a “devastating effect” on M23 in a short time, according to G -n Wingrin.

The rebel group then melted effectively and was subsequently expelled from the Eastern Congo – to his recent return, which saw him capture much of the region.

However, the military in South Africa were not by any way, this time to thwart the rebel’s advance as it lost its air force.

“Unfortunately, the South Africa budget continues to decline over the years. The Air Force could not afford to maintain Roovalks,” said G -N Wingrin.

“We miss that vital airline that would enter so comfortable a few days ago, but it’s too late now,” he said.

Mandrup expressed such a point of view, saying that South Africa unfolded its troops in 2023, ignoring the warnings that “you did not receive the necessary opportunities, the defense forces are in shame and are facing an opponent who is much more more. Well equipped than in 2013. “

He added that at that moment it was difficult for South Africa to return his troops, as “the forces are locked and caught in two bases.”

“They can’t get out, get air reinforcements (or). They can’t even get the wounded,” he said.

Ramafosa seemed to agree, saying in a recent statement that the situation in the region was “tense, variable and unpredictable”.

However, any decision to withdraw South African troops from Dr. Congo is eventually located in SADC, as SamidRC was located by the 16-member regional block.

SADC has been reported to be ready to make this decision at a summit that takes place on Friday.

Wingrin needed the South Africa government to make a “serious introspection” because of its military participation in the Congo.

“Is this something they want to press at all costs and what is it worth South Africa to die sons and daughters so far?” he asked.

So, it seems that the president of South Africa has a difficult choice -keep his soldiers in Congo and risk more deaths or disturbing their pull, probably after negotiating a safe passage for them with Rwanda.