SA and Rwanda now rekindling strained relations, says Ramaphosa

Strained diplomatic relations between South Africa and Rwanda are on the mend after a three-hour bilateral meeting held by the presidents of the two countries on Saturday.

This is according to President Cyril Ramaphosa, who briefed the media on Sunday about his one-on-one meeting with Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame in Kigali on Saturday.

Ramaphosa and Kagame held their bilateral meeting ahead of Kigali’s national ceremony to commemorate the 30th anniversary (Kwibuka 30) of the genocide against Rwanda’s Tutsi people that took place on Sunday.

Going into the Saturday night meeting, diplomatic relations between Pretoria and Kigali were characterised as frosty.

At the heart of the strained relations is South Africa’s decision to deploy its troops to the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of the Sadc peace-building commission.

Kagame’s government views Pretoria’s boost of the Sadc mission as a snub against it and support for the DRC.

Rwanda is seen as pro the M23 rebels who are embroiled in a violent conflict with the DRC army.

The Kagame administration is also not happy that Ramaphosa’s government requires Rwandans to apply for a visa before travelling to South Africa, whereas South Africans receive a free 30-day visa upon arrival in Kigali, without prior application.

Ramaphosa on Sunday said he and Kagame discussed their differences at length, saying this marked the “rekindling” of relations between Rwanda and South Africa.

The two countries are strategic to the development of Africa, with South Africa the third-biggest economy on the continent and Rwanda the sixth-fastest growing economy in Africa.

Ramaphosa acknowledged that relations between the countries have “over the years faced some challenges”.

“Last night I had a discussion with him about how we can refashion our relationship and ... deal with [visa-related issues],” said Ramaphosa.

“And we are rekindling and rebuilding that relationship. Those wrinkles will be straightened out.”

Ramaphosa then turned to resolving the clashes over the deployment of the SANDF in the east of the DRC.

“We all agreed that peace was an essential component of [developing] this part of the continent. And that in doing so we should bring the conflicts in the eastern DRC to an end.

“We agreed that a peaceful, political solution is the best option to any military action.”

Ramaphosa said he also discussed the volatile situation in the east of the DRC with former president Thabo Mbeki, who was also in Kigali for Kwibuka 30, as well as other African leaders.

In his address to Kwibuka 30 at Kigali’s BK Arena, Kagame spoke glowingly of Pretoria.

He commended South Africa for availing financial and other resources to help its then-collapsed public health system after the genocide.

While South Africa was ushering a democratic order in April 1994, Rwanda went through the last genocide of the 20th century in that same month.

“The new South Africa paid for Cuban doctors to help rebuild our shattered health system, and opened up its universities to Rwandan students, paying only local fees. Among the hundreds of students who benefited from South Africa’s generosity, some were orphaned survivors; others were the children of perpetrators; and many were neither. Most have gone on to become leaders in our country in different fields. Today, they live a completely new life,” said Kagame.

The Rwandan president also acknowledged the role played by other African nations in the rebuilding and reconstruction of his country since 1994.

He lauded countries such as Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Burundi, the DRC itself and Kenya among others.

Kwibuka 30 was also attended by other prominent dignitaries such as the former president of the US Bill Clinton and Nigeria’s Olusegun Obasanjo.