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S. Africa-Rwanda ties feared to hit new low after expulsions

10 March 2014 20:02 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Relations between South Africa and Rwanda are feared to hit a new low with some reports even indicating a possible halt on diplomatic ties within 72 hours, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

This came after Pretoria earlier last week threw out three Rwandan diplomats citing evidence linked to attacks on prominent Rwandan exiles living in South Africa.

In response, Kigali ordered six South African diplomats out of the East African country, saying South Africa harbored dissidents responsible for terrorist attacks in Rwanda.

An official within the South Africa Department of International Relations (SADIR) said South Africa would not stand by and watch people being "killed on our soil by another government, just because we happen to be opposed to a sitting regime," reported South African media Daily Maverick.

The official said the freeze in relations was likely to continue for as long as Rwandan President Paul Kagame remained in office.

Meanwhile, the South African government was under pressure to clarify the diplomatic row with the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) on Sunday, urging Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane to urgently address Parliament on the issue.

SADIR has refused to comment on the matter, but Justus de Goede, DA Shadow Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, believed the public deserves an explanation.

"The South African public deserve transparency from the Minister on such an important matter, and nothing less," he said in a statement.

South Africa and Rwanda have been at odds for years over the latter's alleged meddling in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Relations deteriorated rapidly after former Rwandan spy chief Patrick Karegeya was found strangled to death in a Johannesburg hotel room on New Year's Eve. Karegeya was an active opponent of President Kagame.

Late on Monday, armed men broke into the Johannesburg home of former Rwandan army chief Gen. Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa, another critic of President Kagame. Nyamwasa survived the assassination attempt, the second on his life since 2010.

Speculation over the Rwandan Embassy's involvement in politically-motivated attacks on South African soil has been rife for some time.