The severely deteriorated situation is prompting France, the United Kingdom, and the USA to urge their citizens to leave the city of Goma and surrounding areas.
The UN is warning that the wave of violence in the North Kivu province has led to over 400,000 inhabitants being forced to flee their homes. The UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned of comprehensive and dangerous consequences in the Central African region.
"This (military) offensive has dreadful consequences for the civilian population and increases the risk of a comprehensive regional war", said the UN chief in a statement on Friday.
The peace talks between the government in Kinshasa and M23 have broken down, leading to a severely deteriorated security situation in the eastern part of the country.
The UN has peacekeeping forces around the city of Goma where the fighting is raging the most.
