THE United Nations says at least 700 people have been killed in intense fighting in Goma, the largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, since Sunday.
UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said 2,800 people have been injured, as M23 rebels – backed by Rwanda – captured the capital of North Kivu province.
The rebels are now reported to be moving south towards Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu.
The conflict in eastern DR Congo dates back to the 1990s but has rapidly escalated in recent weeks.
M23, which is made up of ethnic Tutsis, say they are fighting for minority rights, while DR Congo’s government says the Rwanda-backed rebels are seeking control of the eastern region’s vast mineral wealth.
On Friday, Dujarric said the casualty figures came from an assessment made by the World Health Organization and its partners, alongside the DR Congo’s government, between Sunday and Thursday.
The UN spokesman also warned the death toll would rise further.
In an attempt to halt M23’s progress, the DR Congo military has set up a defensive line on the road between Goma and Bukavu, according to the AFP news agency.
Hundreds of civilian volunteers have been enlisted to defend Bukavu.
One young man told the AFP: “I am ready to die for my country.”
Jean-Jacques Purusi Sadiki, the governor of South Kivu – the province M23 are marching on – told Reuters news agency the government army and its allies were holding back the rebels, though that claim has not been independently verified.
Earlier this week, M23 vowed to continue its offensive until it reached the capital Kinshasa, about 2,600km (1,600 miles) to the west.
