In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), this Saturday, January 25, in the surroundings of Goma, provincial capital of North Kivu, fighting pitted the Congolese army and its allies against the M23 group, supported by Rwanda. Thirteen soldiers – South African, Malawian and Uruguayan – deployed within the SADC regional force or within the UN mission (MONUSCO), were killed in the fighting.
This Saturday, the South African army announced the death of 9 soldiers on Friday in eastern DRC, where they were fighting within the SADC regional force or the UN peacekeeping force. (MONUSCO). The Malawian army reported three of its soldiers killed deployed within the SADC force and Uruguay announced the death of a Uruguayan deployed within MONUSCO. MONUSCO – engaged in the fighting – had earlier reported nine injured peacekeepers.
No official report from the Congolese army which communicated in the afternoon to “ congratulate » the forces engaged. The vice-governor of the North Kivu province, divisional commissioner Jean-Romuald Ekuka Lipopo declared that if the M23 and the Rwandan army arrived in Goma, “ this will be their cemetery ».
Nine South African soldiers killed: 7 from the SADC force, 2 from MONUSCO
« After two days of fierce fighting against the M23 rebel group in eastern DRC, the South African contingent and its counterparts were able to stop the rebel group’s advance towards Goma, the provincial capital of eastern DRC. The hostile M23 forces had launched a large-scale attack on our troops with the intention of taking control of Goma, but they were unable to advance due to the heroic resistance of our valiant fighters. Our forces were not only able to stop the M23’s advance, but they were able to push it back. The intention of the M23, among others, is also to take control of the city of Goma, but it encountered strong resistance from the SANDF contingent, which managed to prevent it from entering Goma », Specifies the South African armed forces in the press release.
« During this valiant resistance against the M23 rebels, the South African National Defense Force (SANDF) lost nine (9) members on Friday January 24, 2025, after two days of fierce fighting. Seven (7) of these members were part of the South African contingent deployed to eastern DRC in December 2023 as part of the 16-member regional bloc of the SADC Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC) and two (2) members were from MONUSCO. The number of injured remains to be confirmed, but a few suffered injuries of varying severity », Adds the press release.
A Uruguayan soldier who was part of the UN force deployed in the Democratic Republic of Congo was killed during fighting with the anti-government armed group M23 in the east of the country, the Uruguayan army announced on Saturday.
« Over the past 24 hours, we have recorded a deterioration in the security situation in the province of North Kivu […]. A soldier unfortunately lost his life “, she said, adding that four Uruguayan soldiers were also injured. “ They were completing their one-year mission in the region. The next ones were supposed to start next week, but flights have been suspended until further notice “, army spokesperson Colonel Fernando Botti told AFP.
Three Malawian soldiers from the SADC force were also killed “ in the exercise of their mission during a meeting with the M23 rebel group operating in eastern DRC », For his part, a spokesperson for the Malawian army, Emmanuel Mlelemba, told AFP, without further details.
With RFI
