South Africa warns of war after 13 peacekeepers are killed by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in the DRC. Tensions escalate as rebels seize Goma.

As an East African bloc urged an immediate ceasefire in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwandan-backed M23 rebels who seized the city of Goma extended their advance on Wednesday, and Congo said it planned a campaign to recover lost territory.

M23 rebels, backed by Rwanda, are advancing towards Bukavu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. This move follows their capture of Goma, raising the specter of renewed regional conflict. Diplomatic efforts,

A conflict that has raged for decades reached a flashpoint this week when rebels backed by Rwanda marched on a key Congolese city in a bid to occupy territory and exploit minerals.

Rwanda, which diplomats say backs M23 fighters who seized Goma in Democratic Republic of Congo this week, called on Wednesday for a ceasefire across eastern Congo and for Congo to negotiate with the rebels while denying Rwandan troops were involved.

Rwanda-backed rebels who captured eastern Congo's largest city said Thursday they want to take their fight to the far-off capital, Kinshasa, while Congo's president called for a massive military mobilisation to resist the rebellion and his defense minister rejected calls for talks.

Rwanda-backed rebels are closing in on the key eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo city of Bukavu, promising to continue their lightning offensive until they take the national capital.

South Korea plans to issue a travel ban for an eastern province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo due to intensifying fighting between government and rebel forces in the country, the foreign ministry said on Friday.

DRC President Felix Tshisekedi vowed a "vigorous response" to the advances of the M23. The M23 announced earlier in the day that it was willing to dialogue with the DRC government.

"In Bukavu, foreigners are fleeing," missionaries from the capital of the Congolese province of South Kivu tell Fides. "The various embassies in Kinshasa have ordered their compatriots to leave the city because they fear that the M23 rebels could conquer it after taking control of Goma and the province of North Kivu,

The fall of Goma in North Kivu marks a temporary low point in eastern DRC’s decades-long turmoil.