M23 rebels gather to supervise potential Congolese recruits in the city of Goma on Thursday. (Reuters: Arlette Bashizi)
In short:
Authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo say at least 773 people were killed in a week of fighting in and around the city of Goma, which was overrun by the M23 rebel group on Tuesday.
The rebels are backed by troops from neighbouring Rwanda, according to international observers, though Rwanda denies taking part in the conflict.
What's next?
The G7 foreign ministers have issued a statement condemning the violence and calling for an end to M23's offensive, but the rebel group has vowed to push on all the way to the capital, Kinshasa.
At least 773 people have been killed in and around eastern Congo's largest city of Goma in the past week during fighting between the military and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, according to Congolese authorities.
The rebels overran Goma on Tuesday before moving south towards the city of Bukavu, but appeared to be held up about 60 kilometres north of the city on Friday by Congolese troops supported by Burundi's army.
Congolese government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said 773 bodies were in Goma's morgues as a result of the fighting, and 2,880 people had been hospitalised with injuries.
However, the final death toll for the week's fighting would likely be higher, he told a briefing in the capital, Kinshasa.
"These figures remain provisional because the rebels asked the population to clean the streets of Goma. There should be mass graves," Mr Muyaya said.
The latest wave of violence prompted the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) rich democracies to issue a statement strongly condemning the attack on Goma, and urging the M23 rebels and Rwandan troops to halt their offensive.
"This offensive constitutes a flagrant disregard for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo)," the statement said, citing the displacement of civilians and worsening humanitarian conditions.
Well trained and professionally armed, the Tutsi-led M23 rebels are the most potent of more than 100 armed groups vying for control for Congo's mineral-rich east, which holds vast deposits critical to much of the world's technology.
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.
Rwanda denies supporting M23, and says it has troops in eastern Congo only to defend its own borders.
Humanitarian crisis as NGOs suspend activities
Thousands of Goma residents returned to the city on Saturday after the rebels, intent on showing they can restore order and govern, promised to restore basic services including water and power supply.
However, food remains scarce, with many market stalls empty, and medical supplies are difficult to come by.
Goma residents listen to M23 soldiers on Friday, as the group tries to maintain order in the city. (AP Photo: Moses Sawasawa)
"I'm tired and don't know which way to go. On every corner [there] is a mourner," said Jean Marcus, 25, who lost at least one relative in the fighting.
While the fighting has eased, Goma's capture has resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis, according to aid groups and the United Nations, as the city is a humanitarian hub for many of the 6 million people displaced by the broader conflict across the region.
Rose Tchwenko, country director for the Mercy Corps aid group in Congo, said humanitarian operations had been brought to a standstill, cutting off a vital lifeline for aid delivery across eastern Congo.
Why the UN is sounding the alarm about the 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.
"The escalation of violence toward Bukavu raises fears of even greater displacement, while the breakdown of humanitarian access is leaving entire communities stranded without support," she said.
Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) said on Friday it had only a small stock of medicine left and had stopped assisting people in displacement camps.
The World Food Programme said it had evacuated staff and suspended activities.
The rebel advance has left in its wake extrajudicial killings and forced conscription of civilians, UN human rights office spokesman Jeremy Laurence said on Friday.
Congolese forces have also been accused of sexual violence as fighting has raged in the region, Mr Laurence said, adding that the UN was verifying reports that Congolese troops raped 52 women in the region of South Kivu.
ABC/wires
