Rebels from Rwanda -backed M23 have killed a military governor as they progress through the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, reports in reports.
The fighting between the M23 and the Army of the DR Congo have been intensified since the beginning of the year, with the rebels taking control of more territory than ever.
North Kivu Governor Peter Virimiahi was deadly wounded by M23 fighters when visiting the front line on Thursday, according to UN documents, quoted by Reuters and AFP news agencies.
More than 400,000 people have left their homes since the beginning of this year, while the M23 is going to the city of Goma, the UN reports.
As they moved to Goma, the M23 took over the cities of Massisi and Minova.
More than 200 civilians have been killed in areas conquered by M23, local leaders said on Thursday.
According to the UN, two children were killed after bombs fell on a camp for displaced people.
As a result of these excitement, Congo President Felix Chiseked shortened his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, returning on Thursday to hold emergency security meetings with senior officials.
The fall of Goma – a supervising city that is located near the border with Rwanda – would be a big coup for rebels. They briefly took over the city during a riot in 2012, but withdrew after a deal.
Many roads leading to the city are already blocked, which has aroused fears that food stocks in the city may end.
“The city of Goma is in vice, the city is suffocated, no more entrances, no more outputs … This population suffers very much,” said local union leader Bahala Shamavu Innocent to the BBC.
Espoir ngalukiye, a member of the opposition party ENSEMBLE POUR LA Republique, is also worried about accessing food.
“We are really not safe in Goma,” said Mr Ngalukie. “No one who lives in Goma can tell you that he is not afraid.”
On Thursday, the rebels took over the nearby town of Sake, according to the UN, the United Kingdom and various other sources.
But the Congoan army said it had repelled the attack on Sake, which is located only 20 km (12 miles) from Goma.
Sake residents and the wider area – many of whom have already been displaced by the conflict – have left their homes.
People run, wearing mattresses and other such essentials on their back as dozens are piling up in crowded wooden boats.
Thousands of panic families have fled to Goma, where hospitals are full of wounded civilians.
Since 2021, the M23 has been taking control of huge sections of Mineral -rich Eastern DR Congo. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people were displaced.
Last year, there were also fears that the rebels would take over Goma. At the end of July there was a lull in the fighting, but the heavy fighting renewed in October and deteriorated by the end of the year.
DR Congo and the UN say the M23 is supported by Rwanda. Authorities in Rwanda neither confirm nor deny it.
UN experts say Rwanda has between 3000 and 4,000 soldiers acting with M23 in the eastern part of DR Congo.
On Friday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the current conflict was at risk of escalating in a wider regional war.
Mr. Guterres urged “all participants to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and to put an end to all forms of support for armed groups,” a statement said.