Half A Million Civilians Displaced in DR Congo as Government Loses Grip on Major City

Over half a million people have reportedly been displaced by the battle raging between Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) security forces and M23 insurgents for control of Goma, a strategic city in the eastern Congo.

DRC Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wager said the “humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate” after M23 rebels launched a major offensive at the beginning of January.

On Monday, the rebels entered Goma, the capital of North Kivu province. Over a dozen peacekeepers working for MONUSCO, the U.N. peacekeeping mission to the Congo, were killed, along with government soldiers, allied militia fighters, and civilians.