Panic is spreading in Goma in eastern Congo as M23 rebels encircle the city, battling Congo’s army. Many civilians have been wounded in the crossfire, stretching the main hospital.

The M23 armed group has seized further territory in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo and on Thursday was continuing to tighten its grip on provincial capital Goma, which is almost surrounded by fighting.

Jan 22 (EFE/EPA) – The NGO Save the Children reported on Wednesday that nearly 120,000 children have been forced to flee their homes in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since the beginning of 2025 due to a surge in fighting between the army and rebel groups.

The M23 rebel group is advancing toward eastern Congo’s largest city of Goma. The United Nations says this has displaced over 178,000 people in the past two weeks.

The M23 rebel group in Democratic Republic of Congo has seized the eastern town of Minova, a main supply route for the provincial capital Goma, a local governor and a rebel leader said on Tuesday as the army reported fighting on all fronts.

Tutsi-led M23 rebel group claims to defend Tutsi interests against ethnic Hutu militias whose leaders are linked to genocide of Tutsi in Rwanda - Anadolu Ajansı

Laden with just the possessions they can carry, thousands of displaced people have reached the outskirts of the city of Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, fleeing a rapid M23 rebel advance that has taken more territory than ever before.

The last two towns before Goma, a provincial capital in Congo’s east, have just fallen to M23 rebels. They last captured the city in 2012.

The M23 rebel group's aggressive advance into the mineral-rich east of the Democratic Republic of Congo has displaced thousands, threatening areas like Goma. The rebel force has gained control of key mining territories,

KINSHASA - The army of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Tuesday called on citizens to remain calm in the face of recent advances by the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels in the eastern province of North Kivu.

M23 rebels tightened their stranglehold over key trading routes to the city of Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo after taking more towns Monday and Tuesday, Congo’s army said.

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo have taken over the key eastern trading town of Minova, according to various sources. The fall of the city puts the rebels within 40km (25 miles) of provincial capital, Goma, which lies close to the border with Rwanda.