18 Troops Return Home After Deaths in Congo Fighting.
A group of 18 dead soldiers left Congo today. They died near the city of Goma last month in fights with M23 forces.
The UN said most of the troops came from South Africa's army. Others served from Malawi and Tanzania. They fought as part of a peace force in Congo.
Bad roads and a broken airport in Goma made it hard to send the bodies home fast. UN trucks had to take them through Rwanda to Uganda first.
"The airport at Goma had problems," a UN worker said. This meant they could not fly the bodies straight out.
The deaths show the growing dangers for peace forces in east Congo. Fighting between M23 and other armies keeps growing worse there.
South Africa expects its 14 soldiers to arrive home by evening. Malawi and Tanzania plan to meet their dead with army honor shows.
South Africa's army office said it would hold a special event in Pretoria. There, they will thank the dead soldiers for their work and duty.
M23 fighters have moved near the town of Bukavu, which has caused South Africa's leader Cyril Ramaphosa to ask for all fighting to stop. He wants to talk about peace at a big meeting in Tanzania.
Ramaphosa thinks leaders should use the meeting to end the war. He asks Congo's leaders and M23 to follow the Luanda peace plan.
The Tanzania meeting brings together heads of state from Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, and Kenya. These leaders want to prevent the fight from turning into a bigger war.
A group of 18 dead soldiers left Congo today. They died near the city of Goma last month in fights with M23 forces.
The UN said most of the troops came from South Africa's army. Others served from Malawi and Tanzania. They fought as part of a peace force in Congo.
Bad roads and a broken airport in Goma made it hard to send the bodies home fast. UN trucks had to take them through Rwanda to Uganda first.
"The airport at Goma had problems," a UN worker said. This meant they could not fly the bodies straight out.
The deaths show the growing dangers for peace forces in east Congo. Fighting between M23 and other armies keeps growing worse there.
South Africa expects its 14 soldiers to arrive home by evening. Malawi and Tanzania plan to meet their dead with army honor shows.
South Africa's army office said it would hold a special event in Pretoria. There, they will thank the dead soldiers for their work and duty.
M23 fighters have moved near the town of Bukavu, which has caused South Africa's leader Cyril Ramaphosa to ask for all fighting to stop. He wants to talk about peace at a big meeting in Tanzania.
Ramaphosa thinks leaders should use the meeting to end the war. He asks Congo's leaders and M23 to follow the Luanda peace plan.
The Tanzania meeting brings together heads of state from Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, and Kenya. These leaders want to prevent the fight from turning into a bigger war.
