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Ramaphosa says he won’t exchange words with other leaders in public after Kagame remarks
'Matters of importance are discussed properly behind closed doors, so I'm not going to get into the mud,' said Ramaphosa.
President Cyril Rampahosa and Rwanda President Paul Kagame. Picture: Gallo Images/ Felix Dlangamandla
President Cyril Ramaphosa has refused to engage in a public war of words with Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
Kagame accused Ramaphosa last week of spreading “distortion and lies” about the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Kagame slams Ramaphosa
His reaction came after Ramaphosa attributed the deaths of 14 South African soldiers to the M23 rebel group and the Rwanda Defence Force, which he referred to as a “militia”.
Troops of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) are deployed in the eastern DRC as part of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission.
ALSO READ: MPs told that poor training not to blame for South African soldiers dying in DRC
Despite a brief conversation between the two leaders amid escalating tensions, Kagame later took to X (formerly Twitter), warning: “If South Africa prefers confrontation, Rwanda will deal with the matter in that context any day.”
The Rwandan president also claimed that South Africa’s involvement in the DRC was motivated by mining interests rather than peacekeeping efforts.
Ramaphosa won’t be dragged into a public spat with Kagame
During the Presidential Golf Challenge in Cape Town on Friday, Ramaphosa emphasised that he won’t engage in a public spat with other world leaders.
“With regard to what’s happening in the DRC, as a head of state, I’m not in the habit of getting into the mud and arguing with other people, other heads of state.
“Matters of importance are discussed properly behind closed doors, so I’m not going to get into the mud,” he said.
READ MORE: SA has ‘duty’ to get involved in foreign conflicts, says Ramaphosa as Trump sanctions ICC
Ramaphosa also addressed remarks by US President Donald Trump, who recently commented that “bad things are happening in South Africa” concerning land and other issues.
“The United States is a very important player on the global stage. They’re the biggest economy, and they are our very important trading partner. So we intend to deal with them in a formal way and in proper engagement,” he explained.
The president added: “As I have said, I am going to be sending a delegation to our own continent, Europe, the Americas, Asia, and the Middle East to explain our position, more particularly our G20 objectives.”
When asked if South Africa would adjust its foreign policy to align with US expectations, Ramaphosa stressed the importance of dialogue and collaboration.
“Anybody who says things are not for negotiation is not being realistic. We live in a world where we want to promote cooperation, dialogue, and the ability to work with others.
“So, we want people to put their views forward. It must be a festival of ideas being put forward where we sharpen each other’s wits and where we put wisdom and facts on the table.”
Repatriation of SANDF soldiers’ bodies
Ramaphosa assured the public that efforts are underway to repatriate the bodies of the 14 soldiers who recently died in the DRC.
“We are working fervently, and when we get to Tanzania to have the summit tomorrow, I’m hoping that we will not only deal with what has happened in the recent past, but we will deal with issues that revolve around a ceasefire and finding a permanent solution to the problems that have dogged the DRC for the longest time,” he stated.
The president expressed his desire for peace in DRC.
“We want our soldiers to come back. We want peace to prevail in that area, in that part of our continent, so that the people of DRC can live in peace and all of us can be in our own countries advancing [the] development of our own people.”
NOW READ: No confirmation of repatriation of fallen SANDF soldiers [VIDEO]
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