Advances being made by the M23 rebel group in the Democratic Republic of Congo are "heightening the threat of a regional war," according to U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

Many Congolese see the rebel advance as an invasion of their country by a foreign power in an attempt to seize land and Congo’s valuable rare minerals.

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,

The military governor of Democratic Republic of Congo's North Kivu province has died from gunshot wounds suffered on the front line during an offensive by M23 rebels, a government source and a U.N. report said on Friday.

Rebels from the Rwanda-backed M23 have killed a military governor as they advanced through eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, reports say. Fighting between the M23 and DR Congo's army has intensified since the start of the year, with the rebels seizing control of more territory than ever.

Ankara has offered to mediate between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo over a new offensive launched by an armed group in the east of the DRC, Turkey's president said Thursday.

Recent clashes between government forces and M23 have forced thousands of residents to flee provincial capital Goma - Anadolu Ajansı

A leading bishop in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) says the situation in the conflict-hit eastern part of the country is “catastrophic.”

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo have taken over the eastern town of Minova, according to various sources. The fall of the city puts the rebels within 40km (25 miles) of provincial capital,

It is vital, and long overdue, for peace to take root in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for the benefit of its people and the region,' says UNHCR spokesperson - Anadolu Ajansı

As fighting between M23 rebels and the Congolese armed forces intensifies, Western governments have urged their citizens to leave the main city of Goma.