Kagame Accuses Ramaphosa of Lying, Warns of Possib...

Kagame Accuses Ramaphosa of Lying, Warns of Possible Confrontation

Zim Now Writer

Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame has accused South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and his government of "lying" and distorting their discussions regarding the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Kagame’s statement, posted on X (formerly Twitter), follows Ramaphosa’s claim that Rwanda was involved in the deaths of 13 South African peacekeeping troops.

Ramaphosa’s statement attributed the deaths of South African soldiers to M23 rebels—allegedly backed by Rwanda—and the Rwandan Defence Forces.

He described the attack as a direct escalation in the conflict between M23, RDF militias, and the Armed Forces of the DRC, which also targeted South African peacekeepers deployed under the Southern African Development Community Mission in the DRC.

South Africa’s Minister of Defence, Angie Motshekga, later asserted that Ramaphosa had warned Rwanda that any attack on South African troops would be considered an act of war.

In his rebuttal, Kagame stated that he had two conversations with Ramaphosa earlier in the week, including one just hours before the South African leader’s public statement. He dismissed Ramaphosa’s remarks as distortions and outright lies. Kagame emphasised that the Rwanda Defence Force is a formal army, not a militia, and criticised the South African-led SAMIDRC mission, arguing that it was not a peacekeeping force but an offensive combat operation aiding the DRC government.

He further accused SAMIDRC of undermining previous peace efforts by displacing the East African Community Regional Force, which he claimed had been instrumental in peace negotiations.

Kagame also denied that Ramaphosa had issued any warning to Rwanda, stating instead that the South African leader had only requested logistical support for his troops, including electricity, food, and water.

Additionally, Kagame asserted that Ramaphosa had admitted in their conversation that M23 was not responsible for the deaths of the South African soldiers and that FARDC was to blame.

Questioning South Africa’s capacity to act as a mediator, Kagame warned that if South Africa preferred confrontation, Rwanda was prepared to respond accordingly.