Tanzanian army confirms two soldiers killed in DR Congo

The offensive by the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group, which has captured the major city of Goma and promised to march on to capital Kinshasa, has rattled international observers.

It is the latest escalation in a mineral-rich region bedevilled by decades of fighting involving dozens of armed groups.

Tanzanian Peoples Defence Force (TPDF) soldiers had been deployed under the Southern African Development Community (SADC), a regional bloc operating in eastern DR Congo.

"Following a series of attacks in the areas of Sake and Goma carried out by M23 rebels on the 24th and 28th of January 2025, JWTZ has lost two soldiers," army spokesperson Gaudentius Ilonda said, using the Swahili abbreviation for the TPDF.

He confirmed that four others had been wounded and were currently receiving treatment in Goma.

Ilonda said the remaining units -- without giving any further details -- "continue to carry out their duties under the guidance of SADC".

Preparations were underway to repatriate the bodies of the Tanzanian soldiers, he added.

So far 13 South Africans, three Malawians, and a Uruguayan national have died in the DR Congo clashes.

Earlier this week, SADC called for a joint summit with the eight-country East African Community (EAC) over the crisis.

On Sunday, Rwanda said it would welcome such a meeting, while also criticising SADC's involvement in DRC.

Rwanda has never admitted to military involvement in support of the M23 group, however, a United Nations expert report last July said it had roughly 4,000 troops in eastern DR Congo, and accused Kigali of having "de facto" control over the group.

Rwanda alleges that DR Congo supports and shelters the FDLR, an armed group created by former Hutu leaders who massacred Tutsis during the 1994 Rwandan genocide.