Rwanda says it is open to talks with Pretoria over a fallout regarding Rwanda's involvement in conflict in the DRC which has claimed the lives of 13 South African soldiers. This comes as South Africa's armed forces and defence industry leaders rally to raise funds for the families of the fallen troops.

They may be on opposite sides of the Congolese battlefield only by proxy, but Pretoria and Kigali are now trading undiplomatic warnings. The war in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is also stirring up old disputes between the two countries.

Kagame's comments clearly suggested that he wants South Africa to back off from DR Congo, where its military involvement dates back to the late 1990s. It first joined the UN's peacekeeping mission, Monusco, following the end of the racist system of apartheid in 1994.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has addressed growing speculation about the conditions faced by South African troops deployed in the DRC.

President Cyril Ramaphosa remains in direct contact with the presidents of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and of Rwanda, the perceived backer of the M23 rebels

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned Rwandan President Paul Kagame that failing to halt an assault by Rwanda-backed rebels in Democratic Republic of Congo will carry consequences.