This archive report was first published on 12 July 2021.
On June 6 and 7, a technical committee comprising top officials from Rwanda and South Africa met in Kigali to iron out long-standing differences.
According to Rwanda's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, the committee has concluded a productive two-day meeting, with a progress report expected to be presented to the respective Foreign ministers.
At the heart of the issues between the two countries is Rwanda's demand for South Africa to reinstate visa services for ordinary Rwandans, which have been suspended since March 2014.
President Cyril Ramaphosa had promised to resolve the issue 'quickly' in 2018, but three years later, nothing has changed.
Matambo Kaunda, a political analyst and International affairs researcher at the University of Johannesburg, attributed the delay to a lack of understanding of the problem by President Ramaphosa when he first took office.
Rwanda is also seeking assurance that Rwandans exiled in South Africa are banned from engaging in political and rebel activities against Rwanda.
South Africa has been accused of lack of will to prevent dissidents on its soil from engaging in political or armed activity, a claim supported by a United Nations report in 2019.
John Ruku-Rwabyoma, a Rwandan member of parliament, described the situation as 'chaos' caused by fugitive Kayumba Nyamwasa, the founder of the terrorist group P5.
