South Africa, Rwanda defuse tensions fueled by Goma crisis

ISTANBUL

The foreign ministers of South Africa and Rwanda held talks Thursday to diffuse tensions after Rwandan president accused South African leaders of distorting discussions about the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

South African Minister of International Relations Ronald Lamola and Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe agreed to advance dialogue on the crisis in Congo during their phone call.

"We committed to advancing dialogue on eastern DRC and agreed to pursue the spirit of the ceasefire agreement," Lamola wrote on X, referring to regional peace initiatives.

The diplomatic effort follows sharp criticism from Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who accused South African President Cyril Ramaphosa of "deliberate attacks" and "lies" regarding their previous discussions.

Kagame questioned the role of the Southern African Development Community Mission in Congo, describing it as "a belligerent force" rather than peacekeepers.

"If South Africa prefers confrontation, Rwanda will deal with the matter in that context any day," he earlier warned.

Kagame's statement came after South African Defense Minister Angie Motshekga claimed on Wednesday that Ramaphosa told Kagame in a phone call: “If you’re going to fire, take it as a declaration of war, and we’d have to defend our people.”

The M23 rebel group launched a major offensive last week in the strategic city of Goma, home to around 3 million people. Congo, however, accused Rwanda of sending troops to the city to support the rebels.

While Kigali has denied backing the rebels, regional leaders have made calls for an immediate ceasefire as dozens of people have been killed while hundreds have been injured.

The rebels, led by former Congolese electoral commission chief Corneille Nangaa, held a news conference in Goma on Thursday, asserting control over the city, which borders Rwanda.

Several reports claimed that nearly 100 people had lost their lives over the past week, but Anadolu could not independently confirm the exact death toll.

Thousands have been displaced, many of whom have fled to Rwanda, including staff of international organizations such as the UN and the World Bank.

Rwanda has said that nine of its citizens died in the alleged cross-border fire from Goma. At least 17 peacekeepers, including those from South Africa, have also been killed since last week.