Nine South African and three Malawian peacekeeping soldiers have been killed by M23 rebels, authorities say.
At least 12 peacekeepers, including two from the UN peacekeeping force MONUSCO, have been killed in fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), authorities said.
Congolese troops and peacekeepers have been battling in recent days to stop an advance by M23 rebels on the city of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.
The three-year M23 rebellion in Democratic Republic of Congo’s mineral-rich east has intensified in January with rebels seizing control of more territory, prompting the UN to warn of the risk of a broader regional war.
As of Friday, nine South African soldiers had been killed in the clashes with M23 rebels, the South African armed forces said in a statement on Saturday.
Two South Africans deployed with the UN peacekeeping mission and seven others in the Southern African regional bloc’s force in DRC were killed over two days of fierce fighting, it said.
“The members put up a brave fight to prevent the rebels from proceeding to Goma as was their intention,” it said, adding that the M23 had been pushed back.
An UN official, speaking to The Associated Press news agency, confirmed the death of two UN soldiers.
The peacekeepers were killed on Friday, the UN official told the agency on condition of anonymity.
Malawi’s military spokesman confirmed that three of its peacekeepers deployed with the SADC mission had been killed in fighting with M23 rebels.
“We confirm the loss of three of our courageous soldiers who were part of the SADC Mission in the DRC,” spokesperson Emmanuel Mlelemba said, referring to the South African Development Community’s SAMIDRC mission.
“These soldiers fell in the line of duty during an encounter with the M23 rebel group operating in eastern DRC. As the situation remains volatile, further details will be shared later,” he added.
M23, or the March 23 Movement, is an armed group composed of ethnic Tutsis who broke away from the Congolese army more than 10 years ago. Since its resurgence in 2022, M23 has continued to gain ground in eastern DRC.
The DRC and the United Nations accuse Rwanda of supporting M23 with troops and weapons – something Rwanda denies.
UN to relocate nonessential staff
M23 has made significant territorial gains in recent weeks, encircling the eastern city of Goma, which is home to about two million people and a regional hub for security and humanitarian efforts.
The UN said that it would temporarily relocate nonessential staff from Goma, such as administrative staff.
“Essential personnel remain on the ground, sustaining critical operations such as food distribution, medical assistance, shelter, and protection for vulnerable communities,” the UN statement read.
M23 is one of about 100 armed groups that have been vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern DRC, along the border with Rwanda, in a decades-long conflict that has created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.
Since 1998, approximately six million people have been killed while roughly seven million have been displaced internally.
More than 237,000 people have been displaced by the fighting in eastern Congo since the beginning of this year, the United Nations refugee agency said in a report on Monday.
On Thursday, M23 took control of the town of Sake, which is only 27km (16 miles) west of Goma and one of the last main routes into the provincial capital still under government control, according to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.