The Tanzanian army confirmed on Sunday that two of its soldiers have been killed in clashes in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) over the past 10 days.
The soldiers were deployed under the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission in the region, where fighting has intensified between Congolese forces and the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group. The M23 has seized control of the key city of Goma and has vowed to advance toward the capital, Kinshasa, raising alarm among international observers.
The mineral-rich eastern DRC has been plagued by decades of conflict involving multiple armed groups. According to Tanzanian army spokesperson Gaudentius Ilonda, the two soldiers were killed in attacks by M23 rebels on January 24 and 28 in Sake and Goma. Four other Tanzanian soldiers were wounded and are receiving treatment in Goma.
Ilonda stated that the remaining Tanzanian units continue their mission under SADC’s guidance. Plans are underway to repatriate the bodies of the fallen soldiers.
The conflict has also claimed the lives of 13 South African soldiers, three Malawians, and a Uruguayan national.
In response to the escalating crisis, SADC has called for a joint summit with the East African Community (EAC), an eight-nation bloc. Rwanda has expressed its willingness to attend but has criticized SADC’s involvement in the DRC conflict.
While Rwanda has denied providing military support to M23, a UN report last July estimated that Rwanda had around 4,000 troops in eastern DRC and exerted “de facto” control over the rebel group. Kigali, in turn, accuses the Congolese government of harboring the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a group founded by Hutu leaders responsible for the 1994 Rwandan genocide
