South Africa announced on Thursday that two of its soldiers had been killed in mortar fire in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Three other South African troops were also injured in the attack.
The soldiers were part of a contingent deployed by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to fight armed rebel groups roaming eastern Congo. The attack occurred at their base in North Kivu province. The injured soldiers were evacuated to a hospital in Goma.
This week, South Africa said it would send an additional 2,900 troops to the volatile region. It is unclear if the killed and wounded soldiers were part of that new deployment.
Violence has spiked in recent weeks, with many blaming attacks on the M23 rebel group. Congo accuses M23 of receiving military support from neighboring Rwanda, which Rwanda denies. There are now fears M23 is looking to again seize Goma as it did a decade ago.
Over one million people have been displaced since November, further straining an already dire humanitarian crisis. Aid groups warn the rebels' advance now threatens the supply chain sustaining the two million Goma residents, as well as hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians sheltering there.
South Africa's fatalities highlight the growing insecurity for peacekeeping forces as clashes between Congolese troops and militias intensify. SADC's mission is battling over 120 armed groups to try and stabilize the chronically volatile region.