By Justin Kabumba and Monika Pronczuk
Congolese rebels and allied Rwandan forces entered the outskirts of Goma on Sunday and the airport in the key eastern city was no longer in use, the top U.N. official in the country said, as thousands fled the fighting that also killed at least 13 peacekeepers.
The Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group has made significant territorial gains along the border with Rwanda in recent weeks, closing in on Goma, the provincial capital of around 2 million and a regional hub for security and humanitarian efforts.
The U.N. special representative for Congo Bintu Keita told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Sunday that despite the support of international peacekeepers for the Congolese armed forces, “M23 and Rwandan forces penetrated Munigi quarter in the outskirts Goma city, causing mass panic and flight amongst the population.” Munigi is 9 kilometers (5 miles) from Goma.
She said M23 fighters were advancing
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