At least 12 peacekeepers killed in eastern DR Congo fighting

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.

In recent days, M23 rebels have been advanceing against the city of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, with Congolese troops and peacekeepers battling.

The UN has been emailed about the possibility of a wider regional conflict as the three-year M23 rebellion in the mineral-rich east of the Democratic Republic of Congo intensified in January as rebels assert control of more territory.

Nine South African soldiers were killed in the fighting, according to a statement released on Saturday from the South African armed forces.

Over the course of two days of bloody fighting, it claimed, seven South Africans who were members of the Southern African Regional bloc’s force in the DRC and two who were South Africans.

The members “fought a brave fight to stop the rebels from going to Goma as intended,” the statement continued, noting that the M23 had been turned back.

An UN official, speaking to The Associated Press news agency, confirmed the death of two UN soldiers.

The UN official, who spoke to the agency on condition of anonymity, claimed that the peacekeepers were killed on Friday.

Three of Malawi’s peacekeepers who were on the SADC mission were killed in fighting with M23 rebels, according to a military spokesman for the country.

According to SADC’s SAMIDRC mission, South African Development Community spokesperson Emmanuel Mlelemba said, “We regret the loss of three of our brave soldiers.”

“These soldiers lost their lives in the course of their duties when they encountered the M23 rebel group operating in the eastern DRC. As the situation remains volatile, further details will be shared later”, he added.

An ethnic Tutsis group known as M23, or the March 23 Movement, formed more than ten years ago to form an armed group. M23 has remained in the eastern DRC since its resurgence in 2022.

Rwanda denies supporting M23 with troops and weapons, according to the DRC and the UN.

Nonessential staff being relocated by the UN

The eastern city of Goma, home to about two million people and a regional hub for security and humanitarian efforts, has seen significant territorial gains in recent weeks as M23 wraps itself in it.

Nonessential staff, such as administrative staff, will be temporarily relocated from Goma, according to the UN.

“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.

Around 6 million people have died since 1998, and about 7 million have been internally displaced.

The UN refugee agency reported on Monday that more than 237, 000 people have been displaced by the fighting in eastern Congo since the beginning of this year.