Residents greeted the arrival of Rwanda-backed rebels with trepidation, some staying indoors and others coming out to cheer in what one called a "show" of happiness.

Troops from Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have been firing at each other across their shared border in the eastern Congolese city of Goma, where Rwandan-backed rebels launched an offensive,

Video showed inmates escaping a prison in the Democratic Republic of Congo as Rwandan-backed M23 rebels entered the eastern city of Goma. Thousands of civilians and Congolese soldiers fled to neighboring Rwanda in the latest escalation of conflict in the region.

Congo has severed diplomatic ties with Rwanda as fighting between Rwanda-backed rebels and government forces rages around the key eastern city of Goma.

The latest fighting has intensified a humanitarian crisis, displacing more than 400,000 people since the start of the year, and raised fears of sparking a regional war, the U.N. has warned.

M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo were reported to have taken the key eastern city of Goma in fierce fighting with government forces that sent streams of refugees fleeing area communities.

M23 has made significant territorial gains in recent weeks, encircling the eastern city of Goma, which has around 2 million people and is a regional hub for security and humanitarian efforts.

Fighting with M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo left six United Nations peacekeepers dead, UN officials said Saturday.

Alphamin Resources shares fell the most in nine years after Rwanda-backed rebels overran the eastern Congolese city of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province where the company’s tin mines are located.

Residents in eastern Congo’s largest city, Goma, woke up on Monday morning afraid and uncertain about who was in control of the area after Rwanda-backed rebels claimed to have captured the city, as their fight with Congolese security forces escalated in recent days in one of Africa’s longest wars.

The event is expected to be attended by "heads of relevant Russian departments, heads of Russia’s constituent entities, representatives of the media, business and scientific circles, prominent figures in culture,