In short:
The chief of the United Nations human rights body has called on "all those with influence" to help bring an end to civil unrest unfolding in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have taken control of the eastern city of Goma and are continuing to advance, despite announcing a ceasefire to facilitate humanitarian aid.
What's next?
UN Secretary-General António Guterres says he will fly to the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa next week for a meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council.
The human rights chief of the United Nations says he is deeply disturbed by the escalating crisis in eastern Congo, urging all those with influence to help halt the violence and warning of a risk that it spreads beyond the country's borders.
"If nothing is done, the worst may be yet to come, for the people of the eastern DRC [Democratic Republic of Congo], but also beyond the country's borders," Volker Türk told an emergency meeting of the Geneva-based Human Rights Council.
"All those with influence must act urgently to put an end to this tragic situation."
Congo called the meeting and is asking for the UN body to urgently investigate massive human rights violations it says have been committed by Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in eastern Congo who have taken the city of Goma and are seizing more territory.
The Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have taken control of the Congolese city of Goma, in the country's east, amid an escalating crisis over control of mineral-rich land. (Reuters: Arlette Bashizi)
"It is urgent to exert international pressure so that Rwanda ceases its support of the armed groups and withdraws from the Congolese territory as soon as possible," Congo's Minister of Communication Patrick Muyaya said.
Rwanda rejected responsibility and warned that it was itself at risk of attack from its neighbour.
"We categorically oppose the DRC's attempts to portray Rwanda as being responsible for its instability in the eastern DRC," James Ngango, the ambassador of Rwanda to the United Nations in Geneva, said.
"What is clear, however, is the imminent threat the current situation poses to Rwanda.
"Following the fall of Goma, new evidence has come to light regarding an imminent, large-scale attack against Rwanda."
A day earlier, UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued an urgent appeal to the rebels and their Rwandan military backers to "silence the guns" and stop the escalating fighting in the region, stressing that there was no military solution to the conflict in the mineral-rich region.
"It is time for mediation. It is time to end this crisis. It is time for peace," Mr Guterres told UN reporters.
The UN chief also announced that he would be flying to Addis Ababa to take part in a meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council next week, "where this crisis will also be front and centre".
"We also see the continued threat by other armed groups, either Congolese or foreign," Mr Guterres said.
Civilians living in Goma gathered in the streets surrounding the Stade de L'Unite as the M23 rebels organised a public meeting after taking control of the city. (Reuters: Arlette Bashizi)
"We have countless reports of human rights abuses, including sexual and gender-based violence, forced recruitment and the disruption of lifesaving aid."
The emergency meeting on Friday came after at least 773 people were killed in and around Goma in a single week during fighting between Congo's military and the M23 rebels.
Congolese government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya said on Sunday that another 2,880 people had been hospitalised with injuries sustained in the fighting.
Well-trained and professionally armed, the Tutsi-led M23 rebels are the most potent of more than 100 armed groups vying for control of Congo's mineral-rich east, which holds vast deposits critical to much of the world's technology.
Thousands attended the meeting, in which the M23 rebels tried to assure civilians that they were safe despite the ongoing conflict. (Reuters: Arlette Bashizi)
The rebels say they plan to continue their offensive until they take Kinshasa, about 1,600 kilometres to the west of Goma.
They are backed by about 4,000 troops from neighbouring Rwanda, according to UN experts — far more than in 2012, when they first captured Goma and held it for days in a conflict driven by ethnic grievances.
Rwandan rebels promise safety in eastern Congo
The Rwanda-backed M23 rebels sought to reassure the residents of Goma on Thursday by holding a stadium rally to promise them safety under their administration, as they tried to shore up public support amid growing international pressure.
Vehicles in eastern Congo were seen burnt out and riddled with bullet holes. (Reuters: Arlette Bashizi)
As thousands gathered at the stadium, which the rebels captured last week with the support of troops from neighbouring Rwanda, M23 political leader Corneille Nangaa told the crowd the city had been "liberated and sanitised" and that new administrative heads had been appointed.
"I ask you to sleep well because we bring you security; this is our priority," Nangaa said.
"Starting next week, the children return to school. Let all state agents return to their offices. The displaced people are returning to their homes."
The rebels are backed by some 4,000 troops from neighbouring Rwanda, according to UN experts. Unlike in 2012, when the rebels first captured Goma but held it for only a short time, analysts say the M23 is now eyeing political power and eager to show it can govern.
Why the UN is sounding the alarm about a rebellion in Congo
Photo shows Riot police hold back some protests out with a tyre on fire behind them on a street in the Congo.
Earlier this week, the rebels announced a unilateral ceasefire to facilitate humanitarian aid, but the Congolese government later dismissed that as a "false communication" amid reports of continued rebel advances in the east.
On Thursday, the rebels were advancing into South Kivu province and were 50 kilometres from the provincial capital of Bukavu, according to Nene Bintou, the president of the civil society in the province.
The rebels also had seized a town in the mineral-rich region a day earlier after the ceasefire was declared.
The advance has caused tension and fear among residents in Bukavu, with many fleeing to surrounding villages further from the city. Public transportation has also become less available, forcing some to trek for hours with their children and belongings.
Reuters
