UN says at least 700 people killed in fighting in DRC

By Nathan Morley

The United Nations says at least 700 people have been killed in fighting in Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

According to UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric, 2,800 people have been injured, as M23 rebels - backed by Rwanda - seized the capital of North Kivu province.

The UN spokesman warned the death toll would rise further, adding the casualty figures came from an assessment made by the World Health Organization and its partners.

Decades of violence

The conflict in eastern DR Congo stretches back to the 1990s but has rapidly escalated since the beginning of this year.

M23, which is made up of ethnic Tutsis, insist they are fighting for minority rights, while DR Congo's government says the Rwanda-backed rebels are attempting to control the regions mineral wealth.

The humanitarian crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to deepen for civilians likely trapped by intense fighting.

According to UN World Food Programme, WFP, the situation is going from desperate to disastrous as people run out of food and other supplies.

Critical UN aid workers and partners remain on the ground in eastern DR Congo, but the situation remains deeply unstable since the rebel group took control of most of Goma since entering the city on Monday.