Congo and its allies say they have pushed back M23 fighters, who were advancing on the provincial capital Goma
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has severed all diplomatic ties with Rwanda, and SA said on Saturday that nine of its peacekeepers had been killed amid a surge in fighting with Rwanda-backed rebels in mineral-rich eastern DRC.
The three-year M23 insurgency in eastern DRC has intensified in January with the M23 rebels seizing control of more territory than before, prompting the UN to warn of the risk of a broader regional war.
DRC and its allies said on Saturday they had pushed back M23 fighters, who were advancing on the provincial capital Goma. The sound of nearby heavy bombardment rocked the city in the early hours of Saturday.
DRC, the UN and others accuse neighbouring Rwanda of fuelling the conflict with its own troops and weapons. Rwanda denies this, but DRC’s army said on Saturday that Rwandan snipers were responsible for the killing of North Kivu’s military governor on the front line last week.
DRC has recalled its diplomats from Rwanda and asked the Rwandan authorities to cease diplomatic and consular activities in the DRC capital within 48 hours, according to a letter from the foreign ministry to the Rwandan embassy dated January 24.
A representative of the ministry on Saturday said the letter represented “the most severe form of diplomatic breakdown”.
The Rwandan authorities could not immediately be reached for comment due to the late hour.
In a sign of heightened international concern, the UN Security Council as due to meet on Sunday to discuss the crisis, diplomats said. It had earlier planned to meet on Monday.
The fierce fighting in recent days killed two South Africans deployed with the UN peacekeeping mission and seven others in the Southern African regional bloc’s force in DRC, the SA National Defence Force said on Saturday.
“The members put up a brave fight to prevent the rebels from proceeding to Goma as was their intention,” it said.

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