(Reuters) – Malawi and Uruguay said four of their soldiers were killed in conflicts in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo against the rebels supporting Rwanda, thus increasing the number of the dead among the peacekeeping forces of the United Nations and the South African forces by Sunday increased to at least 13.
The three -year rebellion of the rebel group M23 intensified in January with rebels who took control of most of the territory and the Central African state than ever before, and the UN warned that violence could be poured into a wider regional war.
The UN Security Council will meet on Sunday to discuss the crisis-a day earlier than planned-according to diplomats.
The UN in Malawi announced in the post on page X on Saturday night that three Malawi soldiers from the Mission in Congo were killed without citing additional details.
The Uruguayan army announced the death of one of its soldiers in a statement on Saturday night, adding that two more were injured.
“Various measures have been taken to improve the safety of our troops operating in adverse conditions,” the statement said.
Earlier on Saturday, the South African Republic announced that nine of her nationals had been killed in fighting, including two from the United Nations mission in Congo, Monusco, and seven from a separate, South African mission.
Monusco did not immediately respond to the commenting requests.
Congo, the UN and others accuse neighboring Rwanda of bursting with conflict with their own soldiers and weapons. Rwanda denied it, but on Saturday, the Congo’s army said that Ruandic snipers were responsible for killing the northern Kivu military governor on the first line on Friday.
Government spokesman Rwanda did not immediately respond to the request for a comment on that accusation.
Hundreds of displaced people fled to the capital of the province of Gom. The shooting could be heard early Sunday morning, leading to panic in some areas.
“Rwanda is trying to get in with all the means, but we are holding firmly,” a military source told Reuters, pointing out that the rebels destroyed some of the equipment near the village of Kilimanyok, about 20 kilometers from Goma.
“The war is, there are losses everywhere … The population must remain calm, we are fighting,” the person said.
