Foreign
S’Africa, Rwanda clash over DR Congo conflict
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South Africa and Rwanda’s already fraught diplomatic relations have worsened after President Cyril Ramaphosa accused the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group of killing South African peacekeepers in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
As the rebels gained the upper hand on the battlefield by capturing most of Goma – the biggest city in the east – South Africa fired a diplomatic salvo, warning that further attacks on its troops would be considered a “declaration of war”.
BBC reports that Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame hit back, accusing South Africa of being part of a “belligerent force” involved in “offensive combat operations” to help the Congolese government “fight against its own people”.
AFP reports that the M23 militants vowed on Thursday to march on the DR Congo capital, Kinshasa, as its fighters made further advances.
“We will continue the march of liberation all the way to Kinshasa,” head of a coalition of groups including the M23, Corneille Nangaa, told reporters in Goma.
“We are in Goma and we will not leave, for as long as the questions for which we took up arms have not been answered,” he said.
A total of 13 South African soldiers were killed in the fighting since last week as the rebels made a lightning advance towards Goma – a major trading hub on the border with Rwanda.
Last year, another seven South Africans were killed in eastern DR Congo – making it one of the country’s deadliest combat-related tragedies in recent times.
South Africa and Rwanda have long had a difficult relationship.
BBC reports that in 2014, South Africa expelled three Rwandan diplomats after an attack on the home of an exiled Rwandan dissident in Johannesburg.
Kagame’s government responded by expelling six South African envoys.
Tensions seemingly eased after Ramaphosa visited Rwanda last year for commemorations to mark the 30th anniversary of the genocide in which about 800,000 people were killed.
But they have flared up again, following the death of the South Africans who were deployed to eastern DR Congo in December 2023 as part of a regional peace-keeping force sent by the Southern African Development Community.
South African soldiers make up the bulk of the force – known by the acronym SAMIDRC – that had the mission of repelling armed groups such as the M23 and bringing peace to the mineral-rich region following decades of unrest.
The latest diplomatic fall-out started with a post shared on Ramaphosa’s X page.
In it, the president confirmed he had spoken to Kagame about the escalating conflict and that both leaders had agreed “on the urgent need for a ceasefire and the resumption of peace talks by all parties to the conflict.”
Ramaphosa also insisted, in a later statement, that the presence of South African troops in DR Congo was not a “declaration of war against any country or state” – an apparent reference to Rwanda.
South Africa’s Defence Minister Angie Motshekga, however, had a slightly different take, telling reporters: “There’s been no hostilities between us, it’s just that when they were firing above our heads, the president did warn them (that) if you’re going to fire, we’re going to take that as a declaration of war.”
But Ramaphosa went further on X, saying the peacekeepers were killed in attacks by the M23 and – he pointedly added – “Rwanda Defence Force militia.”
This angered Kagame, who said statements made by South African officials – including Ramaphosa – contained lies and distortion.
“The Rwanda Defence Force is an army, not a militia,” Kagame replied on X.
“President Ramaphosa has never given a ‘warning’ of any kind unless it was delivered in his local language which I do not understand. He did ask for support to ensure the South African force has adequate electricity, food and water, which we shall help communicate.
“President Ramaphosa confirmed to me that M23 did not kill the soldiers from South Africa, (the Conglese army) FARDC did,” Kagame said.
At least 38 Nigerien soldiers were reportedly killed in two separate attacks by suspected Islamic State fighters on military positions in Niger, raising fresh concerns over the growing threat posed by extremist groups across the country.
The development was reported by security analyst Zagazola Makama.
According to the report, the latest attack occurred on Friday when suspected Islamic State fighters launched a coordinated assault on a military position at Dankassari, located between Doutchi and Yaya in Dosso Region.
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Makama reported that the attackers overran the forward operating base of the Nigerien Defence and Security Forces, FDS, after intense fighting.
He further said at least 21 soldiers were killed during the attack, while the number of injured or missing personnel had yet to be confirmed.
“The consolidated casualty figure stood at 21 soldiers killed. The number of wounded or missing personnel was not immediately available,” Makama said.
The report stated that the attack came hours after another deadly assault on the town of N’Guigmi in Diffa Region, where 17 members of the Nigerien Defence and Security Forces, including an officer, were reportedly killed in a separate attack also blamed on suspected Islamic State fighters.
According to the report, the two incidents pushed the death toll among Nigerien security personnel on July 31 alone to 38.
Makama noted that the attacks underscore the persistent security challenges confronting Niger despite ongoing military operations targeting extremist groups operating in the Tillabéri, Dosso, Diffa and Tahoua regions.
The report also cited data compiled by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, ACLED, showing that at least 5,828 people, including more than 2,000 members of the country’s Defence and Security Forces, have been killed in terrorism-related violence since the military takeover on July 26, 2023.
Russia has charged Telegram’s founder Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorism over allegations the messenger app has been used for recruitment by Ukrainian secret services.
The FSB – Russia’s domestic security service – said Telegram had been used “to prepare and co-ordinate acts of sabotage and terror” inside Russia and had failed to remove channels, chats and bots used by Ukraine.
An international arrest warrant has been issued for the Russian-born Durov, who lives abroad.
Shortly after the charge was announced, Telegram’s account on X posted an image showing Durov holding up his middle finger. He has previously accused Russian authorities of “fabricating new pretexts to restrict Russians’ access to Telegram”.
Telegram is popular in Russia and is used by tens of millions of people, although authorities have been restricting access as part of a wider crackdown on internet freedom. The app is also popular in Ukraine.
Multi-billionaire Durov, 41, has lived outside of Russia for many years and holds French and United Arab Emirates (UAE) passports.
It is unclear whether other countries or authorities would comply with an arrest warrant issued by Russia.
Durov left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with government demands to shut down opposition communities on the platform. He had previously founded popular Russian social media company VKontakte – dubbed the “Facebook of Russia”.
Telegram is used by around 950 million people worldwide and has previously positioned itself as an app focussed on its users’ privacy, rather than the normal policies prioritised by other global social media companies.
The platform has previously faced criticism of its app moderation, but has denied having insufficient practices.
Durov was arrested and placed under formal investigation in France in 2024 over allegations of failure to properly moderate the app to reduce criminality. He was allowed to go home months later, with the investigation continuing.
Foreign
Iran cautions, says Middle East war will expand geographically If US falls for zionists deception
Iran’s army has warned that the conflict in the Middle East could expand further if the United States launches additional attacks on the Islamic Republic, ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington this week.
Army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia issued the warning during an interview with Iranian state television on Sunday, July 26, saying any renewed US military action would widen the geographical scope of the conflict.
“I believe that if the Americans once again fall for the Zionists’ deception, or move in line with them, and insist on continuing the war, particularly through air strikes, geographically this will expand further,” he said.
Akraminia claimed the conflict had already spread to the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the entrance to the Red Sea, referring to the recent escalation involving Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement and Saudi Arabia. “The scope of our operations now encompasses the entire region, from US bases in Jordan to the countries along the Persian Gulf,” he said.
He added that the United States now faced an increasingly unstable security environment in the Middle East and suggested Washington was reassessing its approach. “The situation in the Middle East for the United States is difficult and unsettled,” he said, adding that the US was looking “for a new strategy.” “We are prepared for each of the options and scenarios that appear likely.” The comments come ahead of Netanyahu’s scheduled meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday.
According to the Israeli prime minister’s office, Netanyahu will depart for Washington on Monday before meeting Trump and attending the funeral service of Senator Lindsey Graham, whom the statement described as “a friend of Israel.” Since Trump’s return to office last year, the two leaders have met six times, most recently in Washington on February 11.
While Trump and Netanyahu initially presented a united front following the launch of military operations against Iran in late February, reports suggest differences have since emerged over whether to continue military action or pursue diplomatic efforts.
Netanyahu has previously described Trump as “the greatest friend” Israel has ever had in the White House. Earlier this month, Trump also spoke about their relationship during an interview with Axios. “We get along very good. (Netanyahu) knows who the boss is,” Trump said.
Relations between the two leaders reportedly came under strain during ceasefire negotiations between the United States and Iran in April. The ceasefire has since collapsed.
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