(Reuters) – Malawi and Uruguay said four of their soldiers were killed in clashes in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo against Rwandan-backed rebels, bringing the death toll among U.N. and South African peacekeepers to at least 13 by Sunday.
The three-year-old insurgency by the M23 rebel group escalated in January, with the rebels controlling more of the Central African country’s territory than ever before and the United Nations warning that the violence could spiral into a wider regional war.
The UN Security Council is scheduled to meet on Sunday to discuss the crisis – one day earlier than scheduled – according to diplomats.
The United Nations in Malawi said in a post on the X website, on Saturday evening, that three Malawian soldiers working on the mission in Congo were killed, without providing any other details.
The Uruguayan army announced the death of one of its soldiers in a statement on Saturday evening, adding that two others were wounded.
“Various measures have been taken to improve the security of our forces operating in adverse conditions,” the statement said.
Earlier on Saturday, South Africa said nine of its citizens were killed in the fighting, including two from the United Nations Mission in Congo (MONUSCO), and seven from a separate mission in southern Africa.
MONUSCO did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Congo, the United Nations and others accuse neighboring Rwanda of fueling the conflict with its forces and weapons. Rwanda denies this, but the Congolese army said on Saturday that Rwandan snipers were responsible for the killing of the military governor of North Kivu on the front line on Friday.
A Rwandan government spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on this accusation.
Hundreds of displaced people fled to the provincial capital, Goma. Gunfire was heard early Sunday morning, leading to panic in some areas.
A military source told Reuters, “Rwanda is trying by all means to enter, but we are steadfast,” noting that the rebels destroyed some equipment near the village of Kilimanyuka, about 20 kilometers from Goma.
“It’s war, there are casualties everywhere… Residents must remain calm, we are fighting,” the person said.
