Rwandan President Issues Stern Warning to SA, Paul Kagame’s Threats Spark Mixed Reactions
- Rwandan President Paul Kagame responded to a statement released by South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa
- Kagame claimed that South African media and President Ramaphosa were distorting facts and lying
- Kagame also threatened potential further confrontation, a statement that sparked mixed reactions online
Source: Getty Images
Tensions between Rwanda and South Africa are reaching a boiling point over the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Rwandan President Paul Kagame has fired back at President Cyril Ramaphosa following a statement released by the South African leader.
In his official statement regarding the situation in the DRC, Ramaphosa claimed that M23 rebels and Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) militia were responsible for attacking peacekeepers in the DRC. This resulted in the deaths of 13 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers.
Kagame is unhappy with Ramaphosa’s statement
The Rwandan president did not take kindly to Ramaphosa’s comments, issuing a rebuttal statement on social media. Kagame took offence to Ramaphosa calling the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) militia an army.
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He also clarified details of his recent calls with the African National Congress (ANC) leader, saying that those conversations were distorted by South African media and Ramaphosa, saying they “contain lots of distortion, deliberate attacks, and even lies.”
Source: Getty Images
Kagame issues stern warning to Ramaphosa
The president’s last point caused a major stir on social media, as he promised further action if South Africa escalated matters.
“If South Africa wants to contribute to peaceful solutions, that is all 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,” he said.
His comments come a day after Ramaphosa reportedly warned Rwanda about attacking South African troops. During a media briefing on Wednesday, 29 January 2025, Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga said that Ramaphosa had warned Rwanda about the attacks.
“The president did warn them if you are going to fire, we will take it as a declaration of war and we will have to defend our people. That is when the firing also stopped,” Motshekga said.
What you need to know about the conflict
- The South African National Defence Union (SANDU) claimed that soldiers were under-resourced
- Angie Motshekga has been criticised for her travel expenditure while the SANDF is suffering
- The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) denied reports that they had surrendered to rebels
- Family of slain soldier described him as a patriot who always wanted to be a soldier
Kagame’s comments spark mixed reactions
The Rwandan president’s speech had social media buzzing, as users shared their thoughts on a potential confrontation.
@Mark_Forty2 said:
“I think Cyril should fold. With a Minister of Defense like Mam Angie, this will end badly for South Africa.”
@zulukingdom77 asked:
“Cyril Ramaphosa, is it true that you lied?”
@realnickjgood stated:
“You guys need to be patriotic for once and stand with Cyril. Whether you agree with his domestic policies or not, you should all rally behind him on international matters.”
@Leelikechinese added:
“Some of this conflict should be dealt with one-on-one, not with our army. Our soldiers can't be dying because of others.”
@RMukhubu stated:
“Kagame is out of order or over-ambitious. That's the conduct of a rebel, not a president. We need a permanent solution to the situation in the Eastern DRC.”
@MiddasMoks said:
“This is really disrespectful to our great nation. How did we get here? 😭 Being disrespected by such a small country.”
@Moelikhyd added:
“Hmmm. Who to believe? I don't know Kagame well. I know a lot about Ramaphosa. I think this time I will side with Kagame 🤷🏼”
@Thabithesavage1 stated:
“Ramaphosa is a liar vele, we all know.”
What you need to know about Paul Kagame
Paul Kagame spent his early years in exile in Uganda after his family fled Rwanda in 1959 amid rising ethnic tensions. He later attended Makerere University in Kampala before joining Yoweri Museveni’s rebel forces, contributing to the overthrow of Uganda’s military regime in 1986. As Museveni’s intelligence chief, he became known for his strict discipline and zero tolerance for corruption.
In Rwanda’s 2003 presidential election, Kagame presented himself as a leader for all Rwandans rather than a representative of the Tutsi minority. Despite this, his campaign was marked by strong-arm tactics, including the suppression of opposition supporters and pressure on rivals to withdraw. He ultimately won by a wide margin in the country’s first multiparty vote.
Ramaphosa criticised over SANDF statement
Briefly News reported that President Ramaphosa earned criticism for his statement about the conflict in the DRC.
The president expressed concern that people claimed the South African National Defence Force was under-resourced.
Social media users were unhappy with Ramaphosa opting to make his statement on social media, not television.
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Source: Briefly News
