M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo were reported to have taken the key eastern city of Goma in fierce fighting with government forces that sent streams of refugees fleeing area communities.

The DRC has accused Rwanda of backing the M23 rebels, as Kigali, while denying all allegations, has also accused the Congolese army of supporting the remnants of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, responsible for the 1994 genocide.

The M23 militia, funded and directed by Rwanda, said it had seized the city of Goma, terrifying its people, many of whom sought shelter there after fleeing the rebel advance.

Rwandan backed rebels have entered the city of Goma, a key city in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. Could the mineral rich region be in danger of tipping into all out regional conflict?

Fighting has escalated sharply in recent weeks in eastern Congo, where rebels have seized key towns and are closing in on the city of Goma, the government’s last stronghold in the North Kivu province,

(Reuters) -Nine South African soldiers have been killed in eastern Congo's conflict zone, the South African defence department said on Saturday, as Congolese troops and peacekeepers battled to stop an advance by Rwanda-backed rebels on the city of Goma.

The eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has been gripped by years of conflict that have displaced millions of people. The start of 2025 marked an escalation of the violence as rebels aligned with Rwanda closed in on a key Congolese trading hub,