Panic swept through eastern DR Congo’s second largest city as residents fled to escape the looming advance of Rwanda-backed rebels. Amid chaos and looting, Bukavu braced for what comes next. A day after M23 fighters entered the outskirts of Bukavu — a city of about 1.

Rwanda-backed rebels were expanding their presence in eastern Congo after capturing Goma, the region's major city, the UN said Friday, while also expressing concerns over executions it learned were carried out by the rebels in recent days after a major escalation of their yearslong rebellion.

Goma’s capture by the Rwanda-backed rebels has brought humanitarian operations to ‘a standstill, cutting off a vital lifeline for aid’.