The fighting with the rebels of the M23 in eastern DRC left at least 13 people dead among the soldiers of peace and foreign soldiers, said on Saturday officials of the United Nations and the army.
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The fights with the rebels of the M23 in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) left at least 13 people dead among peacekeepers and foreign soldiers, United Nations and Army officials said on Saturday officials .
The M23 has produced major territorial gains in recent weeks, surrounding the eastern city of Goma, which has around two million inhabitants and is a regional center for safety and humanitarian efforts.
The United Nations Security Council was to meet this Sunday in emergency against this new escalation of violence.
On Saturday, the Congolese army said that it had rejected an M23 offensive towards Goma with the help of its Allied forces, in particular UN troops and soldiers of the mission of the Development Community of Southern Africa , also known as Samidrc.
“The M23, supported by Rwanda, clearly takes advantage of the presidential transition in the United States to move forward on Goma, thus endangering thousands of additional civilians”told the Associated Press Kate Hixon, spokesperson for Africa at Amnesty International US.
The DRC, the United States and UN experts accuse Rwanda of supporting M23, mainly made up of Tutsia ethnic groups who separated from the Congolese army over ten years ago.
The Rwandan government denies these accusations, but recognized last year that it had troops and missile systems in eastern Congo to ensure its security, stressing the strengthening of the Congolese forces near the border. UN experts estimate that there are up to 4,000 Rwandan soldiers in Congo.
The wreck in flames of a white armored combat vehicle carrying the UN brands was visible on Saturday on a road between Goma and Sake, where most of the fights have concentrated in recent days.
-Two South African peace soldiers were killed on Friday, while a Uruguayan blue helmet was killed on Saturday, UN official at the Associated Press told. The official spoke under the cover of anonymity because he was not allowed to speak publicly on the subject.
In addition, three Malawite peacekeepers were killed in eastern Congo, United Nations in Malawi told Malawi on Saturday.
Seven South African Samidrc soldiers were also killed in clashes with the M23 in the past two days, the South African Defense Ministry said in a statement.
In a statement published on Saturday, the Uruguayan army identified its member killed in the DRC as Rodolfo ãlvarez, who was part of the 4th Uruguayan battalion. Unit, according to the press release, works “Without interruption to respect the United Nations mandate, as well as to guarantee the evacuation of non -essential civil and military personnel from the city of Goma”.
“Various measures have been taken to improve the safety of our troops, which operate in unfavorable conditions”said the army. She added that four Uruguayan peacekeepers had also been injured. Three of them stayed in Goma while the fourth was evacuated to Uganda to be treated.
Since 2021, the Congolese government and the Allied forces, including the Samidrc and the UN troops, have held the M23 away from Goma.
The UN peacekeeping force, also known as Monusco, entered the DRC over twenty years ago and has around 14,000 peace soldiers on the ground.
ADVERTISEMENTThe South African Defense Minister, Angie wordshekga, visited the South African troops stationed in the Congo as part of the UN peacekeeping mission the day the soldiers were killed.
