Thousands of people have fled their homes in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, as clashes between M23 rebels and government forces intensify .

The governor of Congo's North Kivu province, Maj. Gen Peter Cirimwami, has died following injuries from front-line battles as M23 rebels approach Goma. The rebel group has seized multiple towns, causing over 178,

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.