Rwanda’s President Denies Backing M23 Rebels Amid Killing of South African ‘Peacekeepers’ in DR Congo

The fierce battle for Goma town in the Democratic Republic of Congo has provoked a spike in verbal rhetoric between Rwandan President Paul Kagame and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

President Ramaphosa was reacting to the killing of their country’s soldiers who were operatives of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) on a peacekeeping mission in DR Congo.

In a communique published Tuesday, Jan. 28, President Kagame accused the South African authorities of  “distortions, deliberate attacks and even lies” on recent exchanges on the situation in the DR Congo. “If words can change between one conversation and a public declaration, that says much on the manner in which important questions are managed,” President Kagame declared.

The Rwandan President also denied the accusations by South Africa that his country is on the side of the M23 rebels and described the SADC mission in DR Congo as “a belligerent force”. He then accused South Africa of taking a clear side in the ongoing war in the name of peacekeeping.

“The SADC mission is not a peacekeeping force and has no place in this situation,” Kagame said, denying that President Ramaphosa had sent him any warning saying that his South African colleague had only asked for logistics support for South African troops in the DR Congo.

He insisted that it was not the M23 that killed the South African troops but the DR Congo army and concluded that “South Africa is not in a position to play the role of mediator or pacificator”.

“If South Africa prefers confrontation, Rwanda will treat this question within that context at all times,” the Rwandan president vowed.

Shortly after the Rwandan president’s declaration, the South African president paid homage to the thirteen soldiers killed in the DR Congo and directly accused the M23 rebels and “militia of the Rwandan army” of being involved in the clashes with the FARDC and the SADC mission forces in the DR Congo.

“Their sacrifice will not be in vain,” President Ramaphosa said, asking South Africans to support the troops deployed in DR Congo. He reaffirmed that the mission of the South Africans in the DR Congo “is not a declaration of war against any country or state”, but within the context of efforts by the SADC and the United Nations to stabilise the region.

President Ramaphosa stressed the need to respect the territorial integrity of Congo and reiterated his support for diplomatic initiatives, notably the Luanda and Nairobi processes.

“We have to avoid arms in our continent to attain inclusive and sustainable development, ” Ramaphosa concluded.

Meanwhile, the Congo President Felix Tshisekedi condemned the acts of vandalism against diplomatic missions in Kinshasa by irate demonstrators saying the violence throws a shadow on the noble cause defended by the demonstrators.

“I condemn with the strongest firmness the acts of vandalism and looting against certain diplomatic missions accredited to the DR Congo as well as some private interests in the city of Kinshasa. These irresponsible behaviours tarnish our expressions of anger faced with barbaric aggression imposed on us and throw a shadow on the peaceful demonstrations in support of our armed forces fighting with courage to defend our sovereignty,” President Tshisekedi said.

He, however, called for a sense of responsibility, unity, courage, engagement and discipline in the fight for the protection and territorial integrity being threatened by the M23 movement supported by Rwanda.

Dozens of demonstrators had recently assembled in front of different embassies to demand a stronger involvement of the international community in the pacification of Eastern DR Congo. The demonstrators condemned the presence of M23 combatants and Rwandan forces in Goma and called for their immediate withdrawal. Tyres were burnt and slogans hostile to Western powers were chanted.

The demonstrators attacked some diplomatic missions including those of the United States, Kenya, France, Belgium and Rwanda. The Kenyan embassy was vandalised, forcing two members of the diplomatic personnel to leave the embassy. The United States embassy also announced the closure of the office to the public until further notice and advised its nationals to leave the country while commercial flights remain available.

The Congolese authorities have since expressed their regrets for these violent acts and assured that measures are being taken to reinforce the security of diplomatic missions.