9 South African soldiers killed as conflict in eastern Congo escalates

Members of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ride on a pickup as they secure the evacuation of non-essential UN staff in Goma, Congo, Jan. 25, 2025.

Nine South African soldiers have been killed in eastern Congo's conflict zone, the South African defense department said Saturday, as Congolese troops and peacekeepers battled to stop an advance by Rwanda-backed rebels on the city of Goma.