Three Tanzanian soldiers were killed and three injured by a mortar shell in eastern Congo, with a South African soldier also dying from health issues.

The casualties were part of the Southern African Development Community's mission to suppress regional violence amid resource conflicts.

The M23, the most active armed group in North Kivu, has displaced hundreds of thousands, with Congo accusing Rwanda of military support for the group.

The United States has called for Rwanda to remove its troops and missile systems from eastern Congo to prevent escalation to war.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame justifies M23 actions as a struggle for Congolese Tutsi rights, but opposes SADC peacekeeper deployment in the area.

Rwanda's opposition to SADC forces is linked to concerns over the Congolese military's inclusion of members tied to the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

The ongoing conflict in eastern Congo is one of the globe's worst humanitarian crises, displacing over 7 million people.