Nairobi, January 30- President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame has accused Cyril Ramaphosa South African leader and government officials of “lying” and “distorting” talks between the two statesmen in his Wednesday statement to South Africans.

Kagame took to social media after the release of the tweets and statements by the SA government, calling out his counterpart for fuelling speculation that relations between the two governments had taken a different turn.

The ongoing conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reignited diplomatic tensions between the two countries. Following the intensification of fighting in early 2024, 13 South African soldiers lost their lives, prompting President Cyril Ramaphosa to release a statement mourning their deaths and reaffirming South Africa’s commitment to regional peace efforts. The clashes, which took place in Goma and Sake, involved the rebel group M23, the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), and the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC).

“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.”

In response, Kagame refuted claims made by Ramaphosa and South African officials, stating that “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 challenged the legitimacy of South Africa’s role in the conflict, asserting that SAMIDRC was not a peacekeeping force but an offensive military unit siding with the DRC government.

In a statement addressed to South Africans, President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed deep sorrow over the loss of South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers in the DRC. He attributed their deaths to escalating clashes and reiterated that South Africa’s military presence was “not a declaration of war against any country or state.” Instead, he described it as a commitment to regional stability under the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and United Nations (UN) mandates.

Ramaphosa also called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, respect for the DRC’s territorial integrity, and adherence to diplomatic initiatives such as the Luanda and Nairobi peace processes. “We must silence the guns on our continent for the attainment of inclusive development and prosperity,” he stated.

President Paul Kagame swiftly responded to Ramaphosa’s statement, taking to social media to dispute several claims made by South African officials. Kagame accused Ramaphosa and his government of misrepresenting their discussions, arguing that South Africa was attempting to frame Rwanda’s involvement in the conflict dishonestly.

In response Kagame clarified the following:

1. The Rwanda Defence Force is an army, not a militia.

2. 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.

3. SAMIDRC displaced a true peacekeeping force, the East African Community Regional Force, and this contributed to the failure of the negotiation processes.

4. 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.

5. President Ramaphosa confirmed to me that M23 did not kill the soldiers from South Africa, FARDC did.

6. 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.

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