Intensifying hostilities on the outskirts of Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and beyond involving the non-state armed group M23 have caused further mass displacement in the mineral-rich region,

Fighting between M23 rebels and Democratic Republic of Congo’s army intensified on Friday with the militia threatening to take the trading hub of Goma and the United Nations warning of a regional war.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that Congo's M23 conflict risks spiralling into a broader regional war as Congolese troops battle a rebel advance near the largest eastern city and tens of thousands more people flee.

Displaced people are seen on a canoe at the Nzulo port near Goma North Kivu province eastern Democratic Republic of

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.

It is vital, and long overdue, for peace to take root in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for the benefit of its people and the region,' says UNHCR spokesperson - Anadolu Ajansı

The army acknowledged Tuesday a "breakthrough" by the M23 in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo where the armed group fighting government forces has seized a trading hub that supplies the city of Goma.

The United Nations is gravely concerned about the safety and security of civilians and internally displaced people in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

A leading bishop in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) says the situation in the conflict-hit eastern part of the country is “catastrophic.”

Authorities in eastern Congo say M23 rebels have seized the town of Minova, a key supply route for the provincial capital, Goma.

Clashes between the DRC army and M23 rebels near Goma have displaced over 400 000 people, sparking fears of a regional war, warns the UN.