Fierce Fighting Between Rebels and Peacekeepers in Eastern Congo; At Least 12 Peacekeepers Killed
In the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), intense fighting is ongoing between rebels and peacekeepers. At least 12 peacekeepers have been killed, and around 18 others have been injured. This information was reported by Al Jazeera, citing United Nations officials and Congolese authorities.
For several days now, the Congolese military, along with UN peacekeepers, have been fighting to halt the advance of the rebel group M23 in the capital of North Kivu province, Goma. Most of the mineral-rich region is under M23 control. The group escalated its attacks earlier this month, prompting the UN to warn of the risk of a broader regional war. Following this, both the Congolese military and peacekeepers launched operations against the rebels. According to Al Jazeera, at least 12 peacekeepers were killed in the ongoing fighting with rebels by Friday, January 24. Among them, 9 were South African soldiers, confirmed by the South African military in a statement on Saturday, January 25. The statement said, “The peacekeepers fought courageously to prevent the rebels from advancing towards Goma. As a result, M23 was forced to retreat.” The remaining three killed were Malawian soldiers, as confirmed by the Malawi military and UN officials on Saturday. The Malawian military spokesperson confirmed that the three peacekeepers, deployed in the SADC mission, were killed fighting M23 rebels.
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council has called an emergency meeting on Sunday, January 26, to discuss the growing violence in Congo. The meeting, requested by the Congolese government, was originally scheduled for Monday, January 27.
M23 has achieved significant regional success in recent weeks and has surrounded the eastern city of Goma, home to around 2 million people. The city is an important regional hub for security and humanitarian aid. In response, the UN has stated that they will temporarily relocate less essential personnel, such as administrative staff, from Goma.
