as South African troops relied on Rwanda for a safe exit from the DRC, Pretoria continues to shelter leaders of a group accused of terror attacks on Rwandan soil – RNC.
In a striking show of diplomatic maturity, Rwanda allowed safe passage to South African troops – after they suffered bad defeats at the hands of M23 – that have been holed up in DRC. They were part of a regional force that formed Tshisekedi’s coalition with the goals of exterminating DRC’s Tutsi communities after which they koi would attack Rwanda.
Despite all that, Rwanda has decided to be a good neighbor.
For more than three months after their defeat, the SAMIDRC forces, including South African troops, were stranded in eastern DRC, under constant surveillance by M23.
With no clear exit path, and mounting tensions on the ground, their only way out was through Rwanda. Despite the history of hostility, Rwanda granted safe passage.
Other than retaliate, Rwanda facilitated an orderly withdrawal.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, a key figure in SADC operations, looked a clueless blunderer; one led only by greed.
Ramaphosa had previously insulted the Rwanda Defense Force, calling it “a militia”. Yet his troops now depended on the very same RDF for a dignified exit.
Rwanda not only allowed their departure, but also ensured the security of troops and their military equipment, escorting them safely to the Tanzanian border.
This act of political and military discipline offered Ramaphosa a clear lesson in diplomatic etiquette.
But South Africa plays nasty.
It harbors leaders of the Rwanda National Congress, RNC, a group that has perpetrated terrorist attacks within Rwanda. It is responsible for grenade attacks between 2010 and 2014 that killed 17 civilians and injured over 400.
Its leader, Kayumba Nyamwasa, remains in South Africa, not as a refugee, but a hostile actor that continues to coordinate anti-Rwandan activities. Despite numerous diplomatic protests by Kigali.
In DRC South African troops went as part of the SADC mission to buttress Tshisekedi’s forces. Knowing fully the belligerency of Tahisekedi against Rwanda.
Ramaphosa’s shamelessness knows no bounds.
ellenkampire