WATCH | Lamola warns of regional conflict, calls for ceasefire amid SANDF deaths

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Cape Town – Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, says he has held talks with his DRC counterpart to address escalating tensions between the DRC and Rwanda, which have led to diplomatic strain and violence.

Thirteen South African soldiers have died in the past week in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as Rwanda-backed M23 fighters seized more territory, including the key regional city of Goma.

“[I] Had a call with Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe (Rwanda’s foreign minister). We committed to advancing dialogue on eastern DRC and agreed to pursue the spirit of the ceasefire agreement as per our heads of state and regional processes of SADC and the East African Community (EAC),” Lamola wrote on X.

Lamola warned that the situation could lead to a full-scale regional war and emphasised South Africa’s push for a ceasefire.

Lamola’s remarks followed a heated exchange between President Cyril Ramaphosa and Rwandan President Paul Kagame, as well as the confirmation of the 13 fatalities resulting from escalating clashes between M23 rebels, the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) militia, and the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC).

Kagame said that South African troops had no place in the eastern DRC battlefield, adding he was ready to “deal” with any confrontation from Pretoria.

The South Africans were part of the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) peacekeeping force, but also part of the Southern African Development Community’s Mission in DRC (SAMIDRC).

In a post on X, Kagame said the SAMIDRC “is not a peacekeeping force, and it has no place in this situation”.

“It was authorised by SADC as a belligerent force engaging in offensive combat operations to help the DRC Government fight against its own people, working alongside genocidal armed groups like FDLR which target Rwanda,” he added.

He also called for urgent intervention by the AU, SADC, and EAC, stressing that South African soldiers are peacekeepers under UN and SADC mandates, making attacks on them potential war crimes.

“It is for that reason that all institutions of the AU and SADC, including the East Africa Community, have made resolutions of a tripartite engagement.

“As we speak, already there are forces coming from various groups and angles, so you do need an intervention that is at AU, SADC and East Africa level and not only to reach a process of ceasefire but also of long-term solutions,” the minister said.

The SANDF is deployed as part of the Southern African Development Community Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC).

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