Goma (Congo), Jan 26 (AP) Fighting with M23 rebels in eastern Congo left six United Nations peacekeepers dead, UN officials said Saturday.

Two South African peacekeepers were killed Friday, while a Uruguayan Blue Helmet was killed Saturday, a UN official told The Associated Press. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak on the matter publicly.

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Additionally, three Malawian peacekeepers were killed in eastern Congo, the United Nations in Malawi said in a statement Saturday.

M23 has made significant territorial gains in recent weeks, encircling the eastern city of Goma, which has around 2 million people and is a regional hub for security and humanitarian efforts.

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The United Nations said it would temporarily relocate nonessential staff from Goma, such as administrative staff.

“Essential personnel remain on the ground, sustaining critical operations such as food distribution, medical assistance, shelter, and protection for vulnerable communities,” the UN statement read.

M23 is one of about 100 armed groups that have been vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo, along the border with Rwanda, in a decades-long conflict that has created one of the world's largest humanitarian crises.

On Thursday, M23 took control of the town of Sake, which is only 27 kilometers west of Goma and one of the last main routes into the provincial capital still under government control, according to U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres.

South Africa's department of defense confirmed the deaths of the two South African peacekeepers in a statement Saturday. It said seven South African soldiers from the Southern African Development Community Mission, also known as SAMIDRC, were also killed during clashes with M23 over the last two days.

"After two days of fierce fighting with the M23 rebel group in the eastern DRC, the South African contingent, alongside its counterparts, was able to halt the advancement of the rebel group towards Goma,” South Africa's department of defense added.

Since 2021, Congo's government and allied forces, including SAMIDRC and UN troops, have been keeping M23 away from Goma.

The UN peacekeeping force, also known as MONUSCO, entered Congo more than two decades ago and has around 14,000 peacekeepers on the ground.

South Africa's second-biggest party, the Democratic Alliance, said Saturday an additional 18 South African soldiers were injured in the clashes with M23. The rebel offensive “coincided with the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump,” the party's statement read.

The US has previously played a key role in attempting to protect civilians in eastern Congo, making several high-level statements and visits, said Kate Hixon, advocacy director for Africa at Amnesty International USA.

“The Rwandan-backed M23 is clearly exploiting the presidential transition in the US to advance on Goma — putting thousands more civilians at risk,” Hixon told The Associated Press.

South Africa's defense minister, Angie Motshekga, was visiting the country's troops stationed in Congo as part of the UN peacekeeping mission the day the soldiers were killed.

Congo, the United States and UN experts accuse Rwanda of backing M23, which is mainly made up of ethnic Tutsis who broke away from the Congolese army more than a decade ago.

Rwanda's government denies the claim, but last year acknowledged that it has troops and missile systems in eastern Congo to safeguard its security, pointing to a buildup of Congolese forces near the border. UN experts estimate there are up to 4,000 Rwandan forces in Congo.

Last year, two South African soldiers from the SAMIDRC were killed by a mortar round explosion in eastern Congo. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)