Link to the article: https://allafrica.com/view/group/main/main/id/00079590.html
Rwanda has sent troops to Mozambique to assist the government in fighting against a four-year Islamist militant insurgency. With the help of the Rwandan and SADC (Southern African Development Community) peacekeepers, Mozambique’s armed forces have reclaimed land, returned locals to their homes in Cabo Delgado, yet Rwandans can’t help but question why their Government has helped Mozambique to being with. Multiple cases such as the murder of a prominent critic of the Rwandan President in Maputo has validated the fears of other Rwandan dissidents that the troops presence in Mozambique is actually aiding them to get at their own political enemies.
Because of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide against the Tutsi, Rwanda argues that it is the country’s responsibility to protect civilians. Rwandan intervention in Mozambique came shortly after French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Kigali during May of 2021. Many have suggested that the reason Rwanda had intervened was due to French interests, but Rwanda has argued that the country is simply doing France’s neo-colonial bidding, putting an emphasis on the pure humanitarian reasoning for its intervention. There is very little evidence of direct French backing for Rwanda’s military campaign. Nevertheless, France has held a series of high-level talks with Rwanda and South Africa about the conflict occurring in Cabo Delgado, months preceding their interventions in Mozambique. This suggests close coordination between France and these other global actors, reflecting the enormous French interests at stake.
Rwanda’s intervention reinforces its bilateral relations with Mozambique and France. A key catalyst for Rwanda’s diplomatic push with Mozambique in recent years has been the concern that Maputo had become a prominent place for exiled Rwandan dissidents. This has included members of the opposition Rwanda National Congress. The closer security ties between Rwanda and Mozambique have included Rwanda to request that Mozambique control members of opposition for the country. Mozambique’s people themselves, are the key actors in this situation. Even so, Rwanda and SADC should use their diplomatic leverage to encourage a confrontation for structural causes of the conflict.