GOMA, DRC — 

Congo severed diplomatic ties with Rwanda as fighting between Rwanda-backed rebels and government forces raged around the key eastern city of Goma, leaving at least 13 peacekeepers and foreign soldiers dead and displacing thousands of civilians.

The 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 people and a regional hub for security and humanitarian efforts.

Congo, the United States and U.N. experts accuse Rwanda of backing M23, which is mainly made up of ethnic Tutsis who broke away from the Congolese army more than a decade ago. It's one of about 100 armed groups that have been vying for a foothold in the mineral-rich region, where a long-running conflict has created one of the world's largest humanitarian crises.

Rwanda's government denies backing the rebels, but last year acknowledged that it has troops and missile systems in eastern Congo to safeguard its security, pointing to a buildup of Congolese forces near the border. U.N. experts estimate there are up to 4,000 Rwandan forces in Congo.

The Congolese foreign ministry said late Saturday it was severing diplomatic ties with Rwanda and pulling out all diplomatic staff from the country "with immediate effect." Rwanda did not comment immediately.

The U.N. Security Council moved up an emergency meeting on the escalating violence in eastern Congo to Sunday. Congo requested the meeting, which had originally been scheduled for Monday.

On Sunday morning, heavy gunfire resonated across Goma, just a few kilometers from the front line, while scores of displaced children and adults fled the Kanyaruchinya camp, one of the largest in eastern Congo, right near the Rwandan border, and headed south to Goma.

"We are fleeing because we saw soldiers on the border with Rwanda throwing bombs and shooting," said Safi Shangwe, who was heading to Goma.

"We are tired and we are afraid, our children are at risk of starving," she added.

Some of the displaced worried they will not be safe in Goma either.

"We are going to Goma, but I heard that there are bombs in Goma, too, so now we don't know where to go," said Adèle Shimiye.

Hundreds of people attempted to flee to Rwanda through the border crossings east of Goma on Sunday while migration officers carefully checked travel documents.

"I am crossing to the other side to see if we will have a place of refuge because for the moment, security in the city is not guaranteed," Muahadi Amani, a resident of Goma, told The Associated Press.

Earlier in the week, the rebels seized Sake, 27 kilometers from Goma, as concerns mounted that the city could soon fall.

Congo's army said Saturday it fended off an M23 offensive with the help of allied forces, including U.N. troops and soldiers from the Southern African Development Community Mission, also known as SAMIDRC.

Two South African peacekeepers were killed Friday, while a Uruguayan soldier was killed Saturday, a U.N. official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak on the matter publicly.

Additionally, three Malawian peacekeepers were killed in eastern Congo, the United Nations in Malawi said Saturday.

Seven South African soldiers from the SAMIDRC were also killed during clashes with M23 over the last two days, South Africa's Defense Department said.

Since 2021, Congo's government and allied forces, including SAMIDRC and U.N. troops, have been keeping M23 away from Goma.

The U.N peacekeeping force, also known as MONUSCO, entered Congo more than two decades ago and has around 14,000 peacekeepers on the ground.

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