Thirteen foreign peacekeepers have been killed in a rebel attack in Congo. Nine of the peacekeepers killed were South Africans.
Nine South African peacekeepers have been killed while trying to stop rebel fighters in the eastern town of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), the South African military said in a BBC report.
The remaining peacekeepers are three Malawian and one Uruguayan soldier.
The main rebel M23 group has called on Congolese troops in Goma to surrender to avoid bloodshed.
The United Nations is evacuating its non-essential staff from Goma as the conflict escalates.
More than 10 million people live in this city.
Congo’s government says neighboring Rwanda is backing the rebellion.
French President Macron called for an end to fighting during separate phone calls with the leaders of DR Congo and Rwanda on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the British media The Guardian reported that Rwandan troops are gathering on the Congolese border to help the M23 capture Congo’s regional capital Goma. Hundreds of Rwandan troops have already secretly entered Congo, the report said.
In such a situation, the United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on the recent situation in Congo on Monday. However, the Rwandan army and the rebel M23 group are planning to take Goma before this meeting.
In 2012, the rebels captured the city of Goma. At the time, Rwanda came under intense international pressure. The rebels had quickly withdrawn from Goma.