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Ramaphosa speaks to Rwanda’s Kagame as tensions escalate in DRC

President Cyril Ramaphosa held a telephone call with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, pictured, to discuss the recent escalation of conflict in the eastern DRC. File photo.
President Cyril Ramaphosa held a telephone call with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, pictured, to discuss the recent escalation of conflict in the eastern DRC. File photo.
Image: Supplied/ GCIS

President Cyril Ramaphosa held a telephone call with his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame to discuss the recent escalation of conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, his office said late on Monday.

The Presidency said: "The two heads of state have agreed on the urgent need for a ceasefire and the resumption of peace talks by all parties to the conflict." t

These talks come after the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) confirmed that at least nine South African soldiers died over two days last week during skirmishes with M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The soldiers, on deployment as part of the Sadc and UN peacekeeping deployments to the area, engaged in combat with M23 rebels near Goma, the capital of North Kivu province in the eastern DRC. The number of wounded soldiers is yet to be confirmed, according to SANDF spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini.

While the SANDF has hailed the soldiers as “gallant fighters” who put up a “heroic resistance” that prevented rebels from taking over the city of Goma, the South African National Defence Union has raised concerns that the soldiers were heavily outgunned.

Reuters


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