Even if they are not in good shape, this is in any case the will of the two heads of state, who were able to meet in Kigali last weekend, on the sidelines of the commemorations of the Tutsi genocide.
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With our correspondent in Johannesburg, Claire Bargelès
These normalization efforts are not new, but the journey has been strewn with pitfalls, since the assassination in Johannesburg of the former head of the Rwandan secret service, Patrick Karegeyain 2013. New quarrel when Cyril Ramaphosa came to power, with the meeting between his Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Rwandan dissident Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa.
But the two leaders showed their desire to continue discussions and “ to iron out the difficulties » as described by the South African head of state during his trip to Kigali on Saturday on the occasion of the thirty years of the genocide.
However, an important point of tension remains: operations in theeastern DRC of SADC, the Southern African Development Community, under South African command. Kigali, accused of supporting the rebels of M23sees them in a negative light, and accuses these States of being manipulated.
Cyril Ramaphosa must be able to discuss with his Rwandan counterpart if he wishes to mediate the conflict; THE Rwandafor its part, must also cultivate its relationships, if it wants to be able to count on the goodwill of its partner to extradite former genocide suspects, like Fulgence Kayishema, and obtain an abolition of visas for its nationals.
In the wake of the commemorations, Cyril Ramaphosa received the credentials of a new Rwandan ambassador in Pretoria, Emmanuel Hategeka. So many signs that the communications channel is open.