Nine South African soldiers have been killed as the conflict in eastern Congo escalates

(Reuters) – Nine South African soldiers were killed in Congo’s eastern conflict zone, South Africa’s defense ministry said on Saturday as Congolese troops and peacekeepers battled to halt an advance by Rwandan-backed rebels on the town of Goma.

The Democratic Republic of Congo and its allies have repelled an overnight advance on the capital city of more than a million people, two army sources said. The sound of heavy bombing nearby had shaken the city in the early hours.

A three-year insurgency in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s mineral-rich east M23 intensified in January, with rebels taking more territory than ever before, prompting the United Nations to warn of a wider regional war.

The South African National Defense Force announced in a statement that two South Africans deployed with the United Nations peacekeeping mission and seven other members of the South African Regional Group of Forces in Congo were killed in the fierce fighting that lasted for two days until Friday.

“The members put up a brave fight to prevent the insurgents from going to Goma as they intended,” said M23, who was pushed back.

The killing follows clashes on the front this week that led to the killing of North Kivu’s military governor.

In Goma on Saturday, the situation appeared to be calm, with people going about their business under heavy police surveillance, Reuters correspondents reported.

The Congolese government and army did not immediately respond to reports of fighting in the region.

The United Nations announced on Saturday that it has started temporarily moving non-essential personnel from Goma due to the worsening security situation in the province.

Hundreds of escapes

Congo, the United Nations and others accuse neighboring Rwanda of fueling the conflict with its own troops and weapons. Rwanda denies this, but the escalation of the war has led to calls for it to be withdrawn again.

“Rwanda must stop its support for the M23 and withdraw,” the EU said in a statement on Saturday.

The Rwandan government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

M23 had previously seized control of Goma in 2012, prompting international donors to cut aid to Rwanda. Even then, the rebels did not occupy nearly as much ground as they do now.

The lack of security has worsened the already dire humanitarian situation in the eastern provinces, forcing an additional 400,000 people to flee their homes this year alone, according to the UN refugee agency.

“The situation facing the innocent citizens of Goma is increasingly dire, and humanitarian needs are dire,” Human Rights Watch reported on Saturday.

The UN Security Council is due to meet on Monday to discuss the crisis.