The battles with the Rwanda-backed rebel group M23 are raging as fiercely as ever around the million-city Goma in eastern Congo-Kinshasa.
Rwanda is determined to take Goma, said Silvain Ekenge, spokesperson for the Congo-Kinshasa army to reporters late on Saturday.
On Saturday, an M23 offensive against Goma was repelled with the help of, among others, UN troops and soldiers from the African cooperation organization SADC.
The Rwanda-backed M23 is clearly taking advantage of the transfer of presidential power in the USA to advance on Goma, which puts thousands of civilians at risk, says Kate Hixton of Amnesty International to AP.
Peacekeeping soldiers killed
At least 13 foreign soldiers in peacekeeping forces have been killed in the battles in recent days. Including seven South African soldiers from the SADC mission. In addition, several soldiers have been injured.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Friday that the conflict could lead to a regional war.
Germany became the latest in a series of countries to urge its citizens to leave Goma and surrounding areas on Saturday. The UN has begun evacuating some of its personnel from Goma to the capital Kinshasa and neighboring Uganda.
Demanding a stop
EU Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas called on M23 to stop its offensive on Saturday.
Rwanda must cease its support for M23 and withdraw. The EU strongly condemns Rwanda's military presence in Congo-Kinshasa as a clear violation of international law, the UN Charter, and Congo-Kinshasa's territorial integrity, she said.
The African Union, AU, is also demanding an immediate stop to the fighting. In a statement, the AU urged the parties to protect civilians.
