The M23 advance on North Kivu capital Goma, first reported last week, saw the United Nations (UN) mission in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) activate a quick reaction force (QRF), two battalions, a Special Forces platoon and an artillery battery to counter the offensive.

M23 vows to defend Tutsi interests, particularly against ethnic Hutu militias such as the FDLR, which was founded by Hutus who fled Rwanda after participating in the 1994 genocide of more than 800 000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus.

Goma: Rwanda-backed rebels claimed to have seized eastern Congo’s largest city, Goma prompting residents to flee as fighting intensified, despite the UN Security Council's calls for the insurgents to pull back.

M23 rebels claim they have taken control of Goma city in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Goma is home to over a million people, and tens of thousands have fled to nearby towns. Thirteen foreign soldiers,