Intense fighting in Goma, the largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), has left at least 700 people dead and 2,800 injured since Sunday, according to the United Nations.

The violence escalated as M23 rebels, reportedly backed by Rwanda, captured the capital of North Kivu province and are now advancing towards Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu.

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric cited casualty figures from an assessment conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners, alongside the DR Congo government, between Sunday and Thursday. He warned that the death toll is expected to rise further.

The conflict in eastern DR Congo has persisted since the 1990s, but recent weeks have seen a rapid escalation. M23, an armed group composed of ethnic Tutsis, claims to be fighting for minority rights, while the DR Congo government accuses the rebels of seeking control over the region’s vast mineral wealth with Rwanda’s support.

In an effort to halt M23’s advance, the DR Congo military has established a defensive line between Goma and Bukavu, according to local reports. In addition, hundreds of civilian volunteers have joined efforts to defend Bukavu.

South Kivu Governor Jean-Jacques Purusi Sadiki claimed that the government’s army and its allies were successfully holding back the rebels. However, independent verification of this claim remains unavailable.

M23 has previously declared its intention to continue its offensive towards the capital, Kinshasa, located 2,600 kilometers (1,600 miles) west of Goma.

DR Congo’s Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner has accused Rwanda of illegal occupation, claiming the country is attempting to orchestrate regime change in Kinshasa.

Rwanda has denied the allegations, with government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo stating that Rwandan forces are present only to prevent the conflict from spilling into Rwandan territory.

According to UN estimates, Rwanda had between 3,000 and 4,000 troops operating alongside M23 rebels in eastern DR Congo as of last year.

DR Congo is Africa’s second-largest country, covering an area two-thirds the size of Western Europe, and sharing borders with nine countries. The country has been the epicenter of previous regional conflicts, known as Africa’s World Wars, which drew in multiple neighboring nations during the 1990s.

With the situation continuing to escalate, the international community remains on high alert, as fears grow that the conflict could spiral into another large-scale regional war. (ILKHA)