Fighting with M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo left six United Nations peacekeepers dead, UN officials said Saturday.

The scene is the result of the invasion of Goma on January 27th by M23, an armed group under the control of Rwanda, Congo’s neighbour, which abuts the city. Paul Kagame, Rwanda’s president, has escalated a crisis whose origins go back decades.

Defence Minister Angie Motshekga visited the SANDF members in DRC, before nine South African soldiers were killed in fierce battle.

At least 13 of its soldiers, who are part of a SADC peacekeeping mission, have been killed in the conflict pitting Rwanda-back M23 rebels against the Congolese army and its allies.

Rwanda President Paul Kagame has warned South Africa that although Rwanda prefers peace, it will, without doubt, respond to any “confrontation” from any force that threatens its sovereignty or defence forces.

In Democratic Republic of Congo this week, Rwandan-backed M23 rebels seized Goma, the country's largest eastern city. A force composed of South African troops and Southern African allies that had been tasked with stopping the insurgents has taken heavy losses and is now surrounded and without a clear exit strategy.

They may be on opposite sides of the Congolese battlefield only by proxy, but Pretoria and Kigali are now trading undiplomatic warnings. The war in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is also stirring up old disputes between the two countries.

In the last 48 hours, two U.N. peacekeepers from South Africa and one from Uruguay were killed and 11 peacekeepers were injured and hospitalized.

Rwanda-backed rebels who have captured eastern Congo’s largest city say they plan to take their rebellion to the capital and seek to gain political power

President Paul Kagame said Rwanda was ready for "confrontation" as he rejected criticism over his backing for M23 rebels who were pushing south on Thursday in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo after capturing the major city of Goma.