February 06, 2025 The rebels of the March 23 Movement (M23) have called on the population of Goma, located in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, to rally at the Unity Stadium, following the appointment of Joseph Bahati Musanga as the new governor of the province of North Kivu.

Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in Democratic Republic of Congo are seeking to advance south towards Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, in an attempt to expand their area of control in the country's east after capturing the city of Goma.

We are at a pivotal moment and it is time to rally together for peace,' says Antonio Guterres - Anadolu Ajansı

Rwandan-backed M23 rebels say they are now in control of the key eastern Congolese city of Goma. Their fighters continue to claim more territory in one of the world's most mineral-rich territories.

Bodies are decomposing on the streets of Goma that have not yet been collected, with hundreds of thousands displaced in the region after fighting between Rwanda-backed rebels and Congolese forces.

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.