South Africa often uses its diplomatic heft to position itself as defender of the "global south" on the world stage, but the deaths of 13 of its soldiers in eastern Congo fighting have exposed an inability to project hard power in its own backyard.

The ongoing conflict between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has seen notable developments, with Southern African leaders making efforts to address the crisis. ・The conflict between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has seen notable developments ・Southern African Development Community (SADC) reaffirmed its

Kagame's comments clearly suggested that he wants South Africa to back off from DR Congo, where its military involvement dates back to the late 1990s. It first joined the UN's peacekeeping mission, Monusco, following the end of the racist system of apartheid in 1994.