Fighting has escalated sharply in recent weeks in eastern Congo, where rebels have seized key towns and are closing in on the city of Goma, the government’s last stronghold in the North Kivu province,

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 governor of Congo's North Kivu province, Maj. Gen Peter Cirimwami, has died following injuries from front-line battles as M23 rebels approach Goma. The rebel group has seized multiple towns, causing over 178,