Rwanda-backed M23 Rebels Capture Goma, DR Congo Calls "Declaration of War" | Firstpost Africa | N18G Africa's two mineral-rich neighbours- the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda are locked in a fierce conflict,

M23 rebels said they have advanced into Goma, a large city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Hundreds of thousands of residents have been displaced.

The latest fighting has intensified a humanitarian crisis, displacing more than 400,000 people since the start of the year, and raised fears of sparking a regional war, the U.N. has warned.

Heavy artillery fire rocked the eastern Congolese city of Goma on Monday as France warned the capital of the mineral-rich region was on the brink of falling to militia fighters and Rwandan troops. Repeated explosions from heavy artillery and intense bursts of gunfire echoed across central Goma on Monday,

Gunshots rang out on Tuesday through parts of the besieged DR Congo city of Goma, where Congolese soldiers have clashed with militia fighters backed by Rwandan troops, while furious protesters

The three-year insurgency by the Rwanda-backed rebel group M23 has intensified, and the U.N. warned the violence could spill into a wider war.

Kenyan President William Ruto said Monday that the presidents of Rwanda and Congo have agreed to attend a meeting Wednesday to discuss developments in eastern Congo, where M23 rebels say they have seized control of Goma on the Congo-Rwandan border.

Gunfire broke out before dawn Monday in the centre of the besieged Congolese city of Goma, after the Democratic Republic of Congo accused neighbouring Rwanda of sending more troops across

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.

Gunshots rang out through parts of the besieged DR Congo city of Goma on Tuesday, as Congolese soldiers clashed with militia fighters backed by Rwandan troops ahead of a UN

have been keeping M23 away from Goma. MONUSCO entered Congo more than two decades ago and has around 14,000 peacekeepers on the ground. Associated Press writer Ignatius Ssuuna in Kigali ...