International peacekeepers killed as fighting rages around eastern Congo’s key city

The U.N. Security Council moved up an exigency gathering connected the escalating unit to Sunday greeting (10 americium EST). Congo requested the meeting, which had primitively been scheduled for Monday.

On Saturday, Congo’s service said it fended disconnected an M23 violative towards Goma with the assistance of its allied forces, including U.N. troops and soldiers from the Southern African Development Community Mission, besides known arsenic SAMIDRC.

“The Rwandan-backed M23 is intelligibly exploiting the statesmanlike modulation successful the U.S. to beforehand connected Goma — putting thousands much civilians astatine risk,” Kate Hixon, advocacy manager for Africa astatine Amnesty International US, told the Associated Press.

UN armoured unit carriers deploy extracurricular Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (AP Photo)

Congo, the United States and U.N. experts impeach Rwanda of backing M23, which is chiefly made up of taste Tutsis who broke distant from the Congolese service much than a decennary ago.

Rwanda’s authorities denies the claim, but past twelvemonth acknowledged that it has troops and rocket systems successful eastbound Congo to safeguard its security, pointing to a buildup of Congolese forces adjacent the border. U.N. experts estimation determination are up to 4,000 Rwandan forces successful Congo.

The burning wreckage of a achromatic armored warring conveyance carrying UN markings could beryllium seen connected a roadworthy betwixt Goma and Sake connected Saturday, wherever overmuch of the warring was concentrated successful caller days.

Two South African peacekeepers were killed Friday, portion a Uruguayan Blue Helmet was killed Saturday, a U.N. authoritative told The Associated Press. The authoritative spoke connected information of anonymity due to the fact that they weren’t authorized to talk connected the substance publicly.

Additionally, 3 Malawian peacekeepers were killed successful eastbound Congo, the United Nations successful Malawi said Saturday.

Seven South African soldiers from the SAMIDRC were besides killed during clashes with M23 implicit the past 2 days, South Africa’s section of defence said successful a statement.

Uruguay’s subject successful a connection issued Saturday identified its subordinate killed successful Congo arsenic Rodolfo Álvarez, who was portion of the Uruguay IV Battalion.

The unit, according to the statement, is moving “uninterruptedly to comply with the United Nations mandate, arsenic good arsenic to warrant the evacuation of non-essential civilian and subject unit from the metropolis of Goma.”

“Various measures person been taken to amended the information of our troops, who are operating successful adverse conditions,” the subject said. It added that 4 Uruguayan peacekeepers were besides injured. Three of them remained successful Goma portion a 4th 1 was evacuated to Uganda for treatment.

Since 2021, Congo’s authorities and allied forces, including SAMIDRC and U.N. troops, person been keeping M23 distant from Goma.

The U.N peacekeeping force, besides known arsenic MONUSCO, entered Congo much than 2 decades agone and has astir 14,000 peacekeepers connected the ground.

South Africa’s defence minister, Angie Motshekga, was visiting the country’s troops stationed successful Congo arsenic portion of the U.N. peacekeeping ngo the time the soldiers were killed.