Thirteen soldiers serving with peacekeeping forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo have been killed in clashes with rebels from the M23 group.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he had spoken to the leaders of both DR Congo and Rwanda amid global calls for the violence to end.
The M23 group has called on Congolese troops in Goma to surrender in order to avoid bloodshed.
While DR Congo has severed diplomatic ties with neighbouring Rwanda, accusing the country of being behind the rebellion.
Macron called for an end to the fighting in separate calls with the leaders of DR Congo and Rwanda on Saturday, his office said.
Conflicts with M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have claimed the lives of 13 peacekeeping contingent soldiers.
Three Malawians and one Uruguayan were also killed, according to the South African military, which said nine of its soldiers perished in the process of halting a rebel advance on the city of Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Amid international calls for an end to the violence, French President Emmanuel Macron said he had spoken with the leaders of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
As the fighting heats up, the UN is evacuating all non-essential personnel from Goma, a city of over a million people.
The UN Security Council meeting on the deadly clashes was originally scheduled for Monday, but because of the intensifying conflict, it has been rescheduled for Sunday.
In order to prevent violence, the M23 group has urged Congolese troops in Goma to surrender. Rwanda, DR Congo’s neighbor, has been accused of inciting the uprising, and the two countries have severed diplomatic ties.
The action follows Thursday’s killing of a Congolese military governor who was visiting the frontline by M23 fighters. They took control of the important eastern Congolese towns of Masisi and Minova earlier in January.
Macron addressed the leaders of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo separately on Saturday, calling for an end to the fighting, according to his office.
Kaja Kallas, the head of the EU’s foreign policy, denounced Rwanda’s backing of the M23 and urged the group to stop its advance, according to the AFP news agency.
African Union mediator between Rwanda and DR Congo, Joao Lourenco, also condemned the “irresponsible actions by the M23 and its supporters” and demanded the “immediate cessation” of fighting to protect civilians, according to the AFP news agency.
Since the beginning of the year, the M23 and the DR Congo’s army have been engaged in more intense combat, with the rebels taking control of more territory than before.
The UN reports that more than 400,000 people have already fled their homes this year as a result of the conflict.
Hospitals in Goma are caring for hundreds of patients, and local officials reported last week that over 200 civilians had been killed in areas that the M23 had taken over.
According to Martin Gordon, a Goma-based Anglican bishop, the country’s conflict has lasted “way too long” and people “will do anything for peace.”.
Several nations, including the US, UK, France, and Germany, have called on their citizens to leave Goma in recent days.