The South African government is facing scrutiny following the revelation that delegates from the sanctioned M23 rebel group attended a high-level peace dialogue in Magaliesburg, Gauteng, without being detected. The incident has drawn sharp criticism, particularly as it follows recent deadly clashes in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where 14 South African soldiers were killed by the same group.
Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, stated that the government was unaware of the rebels’ presence at the second African Peace and Security Dialogue, which was hosted by the Thabo Mbeki Foundation. “We were not aware that there were members of the M23 rebels,” Lamola told City Press, explaining that his department did not vet the guest list for the event aimed at finding “African solutions for African problems.”
The presence of the M23 delegation, which included spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka, prompted the DRC government to boycott the conference. Meanwhile, Congolese nationals protested outside the venue. Kanyuka expressed disappointment at the DRC’s refusal to attend. This situation has intensified scrutiny on South Africa’s diplomatic processes, with the attendance of M23 rebels being seen by some as a major security lapse.
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Calls for accountability and apology
The handling of the situation has led to strong condemnation from political figures, including former Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Candith Mashego-Dlamini Fransman. She has called for President Cyril Ramaphosa and Minister Lamola to issue a public apology to DRC President Félix Tshisekedi, the SADC leadership, and the African Union.
“South Africa now finds itself at the centre of an avoidable diplomatic crisis,” Fransman stated, highlighting that the oversight raises “unsettling questions about the integrity of our diplomatic vetting processes.” She described the government’s failure to detect the M23 rebels as a “moral betrayal,” especially given the recent deaths of South African soldiers.
Fransman has demanded that the government disclose how the delegation entered the country, hold those responsible accountable, and confirm whether the delegates have since left South Africa. The presence of the M23 rebels has put the nation’s role as a continental peace broker under a harsh spotlight.
Image: Some Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) army forces, who fled the region due to the clashes crossed into Rwanda through the Corniche border crossing between the DRC and Rwanda, surrender to Rwandan forces in Kigali, Rwanda on January 27, 2025. [Anadolu Agency]
