It remained unclear how much of Goma is controlled by the rebels, who marched into eastern Congo’s strategic city early Monday to both fear and cheers among residents. But more than 2 million of its civilian residents,

GOMA, Congo (AP) — Thousands fled the city of Goma on Monday as fighting raged between Congolese forces and rebels backed by neighboring Rwanda, who claimed to have captured eastern Congo’s largest regional hub.

have been keeping M23 away from Goma. The U.N. peacekeeping force entered Congo more than two decades ago and has around 14,000 peacekeepers on the ground. Pronczuk reported from Dakar ...

Goma resident Bahati Jackson’s family has been ... Pronczuk reported from Dakar, Senegal, and Lederer reported from New York. Associated Press writer Ignatius Ssuuna in Kigali, Rwanda ...

As civilians in Goma once again flee chaos, leaders fail to take responsibility for the crisis.

Dead bodies lie on the streets of Goma in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, as heavy fighting continues between Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, and the DRC forces supported by international peacekeeping troops.

Angolan President João Lourenço on Wednesday deplored the occupation of the city of Goma, capital of North Kivu province, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), by the M23 movement and demanded its immediate withdrawal from the illegally occupied territories.

The humanitarian situation in the DRC is worsening as fighting intensifies in the eastern part of the country. Already critical after decades of conflict, security has deteriorated further with the new offensive by M23 rebels.

A conflict that has raged for decades reached a flashpoint this week when rebels backed by Rwanda marched on a key Congolese city in a bid to occupy territory and exploit minerals.

The M23 group is one of about 100 armed factions vying for a foothold in eastern Congo in one of Africa’s longest wars, which has displaced 4.5 million people.

Residents in eastern Congo’s largest city of Goma are fleeing after Rwanda-backed rebels claimed to have captured the regional hub from Congolese forces.