Four South African soldiers were killed on Monday in fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRCongo), the South African Armed Forces announced today.
Three soldiers were killed in clashes near Goma airport with the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group, according to a statement from the South African military, which did not specify where the fourth soldier died.
Last week, nine South African troops were killed in fighting in the Goma region.
In addition to UN forces in the region, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) also remains in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, comprising troops from South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi.
Fighting in Goma, on the border with Rwanda in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, between Kinshasa's forces and fighters from the M23 armed group, allied with Rwandan troops, has left at least 17 dead and around 370 injured.
The African Union Peace and Security Council is due to meet today, as is the UN Security Council, to discuss the crisis which the United Nations says has displaced half a million people.
After progress in recent weeks, and after the failure of mediation between the DR Congo and Rwanda under the auspices of Angola in mid-December last year, fighters from the M23 ("March 23 Movement") and Rwandan soldiers entered the city of Goma .
