U.N. Council to Hold Emergency DR Congo Talks

The U.N. Security Council will hold emergency talks Monday on a new surge in fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in which a U.N. peacekeeper was killed, diplomats said.

France called for the meeting as U.N. leader Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned the killing of a Tanzanian peacekeeper in an offensive by DR Congo troops against M23 rebels north of the key city of Goma.

M23 has been battling government forces in resource-rich eastern DR Congo since March 2012. The new clashes erupted after the near collapse of peace talks between the two sides in Kampala.

Government forces said Sunday they had taken the towns of Rutshuru and Kiwanja from M23.

Ban said the Tanzanian peacekeeper was killed by M23 fire at Kiwanja.

A U.N. spokesman said Ban "condemns in the strongest terms" the killing.