France, US, UK urge nationals to leave DR Congo's Goma as M23 battles intensify
While M23 rebels closed in on Goma, a major city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the US, UK and France on Friday called on their nationals to leave the area. Clashes between the Congolese army and rebels have triggered a humanitarian crisis as diplomatic efforts to mediate talks between Congolese and Rwandan leaders have failed.
The DR Congo army and M23 on Friday clashed outside Goma as the UK, US and France urged citizens to leave the main city in DR Congo's volatile east, warning the situation could deteriorate rapidly.
Since peace talks failed, M23 fighters backed by Rwandan troops have gained swathes of territory in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)in recent weeks, triggering a humanitarian crisis and ringing the provincial capital, which is home to around two million people.
The United States, Britain and France called on nationals to leave Goma while airports and borders are still open, in online statements or in messages sent directly by email or SMS.
The UN warned the raging conflict in the North Kivu province had displaced over 400,000 people this year and could spark a regional war.
"The number of displacements is now over 400,000 people this year alone, almost double the number reported last week," Matthew Saltmarsh, a spokesman for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), told a news briefing in Geneva on Friday.
Saltmarsh said the UNHCR is "gravely concerned about the safety and security of civilians and internally displaced people (IDP)", in the east.
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