South African Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola said on Friday that he had spoken with his Rwandan counterpart Olivier Nduhungirehe, and both sides agreed to commit to dialogue.

South Africa and Rwanda have stepped back from a diplomatic standoff over the DR Congo crisis, days after their leaders publicly traded accusations that risked worsening regional tensions.

South African Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola said on Friday that he had spoken with his Rwandan counterpart Olivier Nduhungirehe, and both sides agreed to commit to dialogue.

“We committed to advancing dialogue on eastern DR Congo and agreed to pursue the spirit of the ceasefire agreement as per our Heads of State and regional processes of the Southern African Development Community and the East African Community peace-building,” said Lamola.

The call followed an escalating war of words between Presidents Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa. On Wednesday, Ramaphosa described the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) as a “militia” and accused Kigali of directly aiding the M23 rebels in their capture of Goma.

Kagame reacted sharply to Ramaphosa’s statement, calling it a distortion of facts and warning that if South Africa sought confrontation, Rwanda was ready to respond.

He also claimed Ramaphosa had misrepresented their earlier conversation, including his alleged acknowledgment that UN peacekeepers had been killed by Congolese forces rather than M23.

Following the diplomatic outreach, Nduhungirehe confirmed the exchange with Lamola and emphasized Rwanda’s commitment to peace efforts.

“Rwanda remains committed to peace and stability in Eastern DR Congo,” he said. “Looking forward to working with South Africa towards common aspirations in our region and in the whole continent.”

The diplomatic efforts signal an attempt to cool tensions as regional leaders grapple with the escalating crisis in DR Congo, where the M23 rebellion has reignited geopolitical rivalries.