South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, spoke with Rwanda’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Olivier J.P. Nduhungirehe, about the ongoing conflict in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Lamola confirmed that both countries are committed to advancing dialogue and supporting the ceasefire agreement put in place by their Heads of State and regional bodies like the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC).
Nduhungirehe thanked Lamola for the constructive conversation, expressing Rwanda’s continued commitment to peace and stability in Eastern DRC. He added that Rwanda looks forward to working alongside South Africa in pursuit of common regional and continental goals.
Thank you my brother @RonaldLamola for the good and constructive conversation we had yesterday evening. Rwanda remains committed to peace and stability in Eastern DRC. Looking forward to working with South Africa towards common aspirations in our region and in the whole… https://t.co/JXG53HzHZh
— Olivier J.P. Nduhungirehe (@onduhungirehe) January 31, 2025The conversation follows a series of remarks by Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who addressed recent public statements by South African officials and President Cyril Ramaphosa. In a tweet, Kagame disputed claims about their discussions on the DRC situation, which he said had been misrepresented in the media. He clarified key points, including the role of the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), which he described as an army, not a militia, and the involvement of SAMIDRC, a force authorized by SADC to support the DRC government’s fight against rebel groups.
Kagame also denied allegations that President Ramaphosa had issued a “warning” and said the deaths of South African soldiers in the region were caused by the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC), not the M23 rebel group. He also stressed that Rwanda is committed to peace but is prepared to confront any situation directly if needed.
I held two conversations this week with President Ramaphosa on the situation in Eastern DRC, including earlier today. What has been said about these conversations in the media by South African officials and President Ramaphosa himself contains a lot of distortion, deliberate… https://t.co/i78aqtVjpr
— Paul Kagame (@PaulKagame) January 29, 2025
