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.

Advances being made by the M23 rebel group in the Democratic Republic of Congo are "heightening the threat of a regional war," according to U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

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?

Fleeing prisoners streamed from the torched jail as Rwanda-backed rebels claim they have captured the strategic city

Recent clashes between government forces and M23 have forced thousands of residents to flee provincial capital Goma - Anadolu Ajansı

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,