FT: SA warns of war after 13 peacekeepers killed in Rwanda-backed M23 attack

Key topics:.SA warns Rwanda-backed attacks could mean war after 13 peacekeepers killed.M23 rebels seize Goma, forcing 1.5M to flee, escalating regional instability.Ramaphosa, Kagame trade barbs as diplomatic efforts struggle to contain the crisis..Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here..The seventh BizNews Conference, BNC#7, is to be held in Hermanus from March 11 to 13, 2025. The 2025 BizNews Conference is designed to provide an excellent opportunity for members of the BizNews community to interact directly with the keynote speakers, old (and new) friends from previous BNC events – and to interact with members of the BizNews team. Register for BNC#7 here..If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here..By Aanu Adeoye in Lagos and Monica Mark___STEADY_PAYWALL___.Regional tensions spiral as SA peacekeepers are killed after Kigali-backed M23 rebel group launches Congo offensive.South Africa has warned that further attacks against its peacekeeping forces by Rwandan-backed rebels would be a "declaration of war", as regional tensions spiralled following a major new offensive in the Democratic Republic of Congo..Thirteen soldiers from South Africa, deployed as part of a regional peacekeeping force, have been killed since the Rwandan-backed M23 militia last week launched an assault on Goma, the capital of the North Kivu province in eastern DRC..They have largely seized the city and on Thursday moved into the neighbouring province of South Kivu, according to local media reports and civil society groups, opening a new front and advancing towards the city of Bukavu..South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday blamed M23 and Rwanda's national army, which he described as a "militia", for the deaths..The country's defence minister Angie Motshekga said the president warned Rwanda that "if you're going to fire, we'll take it as a declaration of war and we have to defend our people"..Read more: NSN: Reports of mass surrender to Rwandan-backed rebels of SA troops in DRC.Motshekga said the latest South African casualties had been hit by friendly fire from Rwandan soldiers, and that the South African army had negotiated a temporary truce with the rebels to retrieve the corpses. It was unclear how long the truce will last, or its terms..More than 100 people have been killed in the fighting in Goma and another 1.5mn displaced, many of whom had sought refuge in the lakeside city from other conflicts in the area. M23 claims it now controls the city..DRC's mineral-rich eastern flank has been mired in conflict for decades and is largely cut off from the capital Kinshasa, which is nearly two days away by road..Dozens of militias including M23, which is backed by more than 4,000 Rwandan troops according to UN experts, are competing for influence and access to essential metals used in everyday devices such as iPhones. Rwanda has been accused of exploiting DRC for its mineral resources..The latest escalation has triggered a flurry of diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict over concerns it is imperilling regional security..Leaders of the eight-member group of the east African Community to which Rwanda and DRC belong held an emergency summit on Wednesday calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities and urged DRC to negotiate with the rebels..DRC President Félix Tshisekedi skipped the meeting and said in an evening address "the presence of thousands of Rwandan soldiers on our soil . . . [is leading] to an escalation with unpredictable consequences"..Read more: Rwanda sends 2,000 extra troops to Mozambique amid surge in Islamist violence.In a sign of the spillover of tensions, the peacekeeper deaths have sparked public anger in South Africa, with some opposition parties calling for a withdrawal amid reports that the troops were under-equipped and ill-prepared..Jason Stearns, author of The War That Doesn't Say Its Name: The Unending Conflict in the Congo argued that Rwanda, which used to be a primary exporter of tea and coffee, and now exports gold and other metals, was emboldened by lack of international censure..The country's authoritarian "[President Paul] Kagame is trying to see what's possible", Stearns said. "They have realised in three years of fighting that there's not been much pushback" from the west and that instead, "tourism has boomed, aid has gone up and the European Union has gone all in on Rwanda"..Angry demonstrators attacked the embassies of France, Belgium, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and the US in Kinshasa this week. The US embassy in Kinshasa has advised citizens to shelter in place..Ramaphosa's accusations drew an angry riposte from Kagame, who said the characterisation of his conversations with Ramaphosa contained "a lot of distortion, deliberate attacks, and even lies" and accused peacekeeping troops of contributing to the failure of a proposed peace process..South Africa and Rwanda, two of the biggest regional powers, have long had a fraught relationship, including over the alleged assassinations of several Rwandan dissidents on South African territory in the past two decades..Kagame wrote on X: "If South Africa wants to contribute to peaceful solutions, that is 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.".Read also:.🔒 South Africa's Congo deployment: Rwanda showdown a riskMany red flags in SA's DRC deployment: R2 Billion, operational constraints, exit strategy, Rwanda – Prof Abel EsterhuyseMediocre South Africa outflanked again by Mauritius, Rwanda in Global Good Government Index

FT: SA warns of war after 13 peacekeepers killed in Rwanda-backed M23 attack

Related Stories

Trump's US health aid overhaul meets reality in Mozambique

Buffett, Walton-backed African Parks focus on rhinos, expanding to 30 protected areas

African leaders, fans across Africa celebrate Arsenal’s EPL triumph

Cathy Buckle: 409 farmers in Zimbabwe; it's all as clear as mud