The President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo cut short his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos as a deadly conflict escalated back home.
Fighting in the eastern Dr Congo region has intensified since the beginning of the year, with Rwandan-backed M23 rebels controlling more territory than ever before.
More than 400,000 people have fled their homes since the start of this year as the M23 advances on the regional capital of Goma, the UN says.
President Felix Tshisekedi has returned from Switzerland to attend urgent security meetings with senior officials.
Over the past few weeks, the M23 has taken over the towns of Masisi and Minova in North Kivu.
Local leaders said Thursday that more than 200 civilians had been killed in areas captured by the M23.
According to the United Nations, two children died after bombs fell on a camp for displaced people.
The fall of Goma – a city of more than a million people located near the border with Rwanda – would be a major coup for the rebels. They briefly took over the city during a rebellion in 2012, but withdrew after brokering a deal.
Many roads leading towards the city are now blocked, raising fears that the city's food supplies may run out.
Local union leader Pahala Shamavo told the BBC: “Goma is in a vice, the city is suffocating, there are no more entrances, there are no more exits… This population is suffering greatly.”
Espoir Ngalukiye, a member of the opposition party Pour la Republique, also worries about access to food.
“In Goma we are not really safe,” Mr. Ngaluki said. “No one living in Goma can tell you they are not afraid.”
On Thursday, rebels captured the nearby town of Sake, according to the United Nations, the United Kingdom and various other sources.
But the Congolese army said it withstood the attack on Saki, which is located just 20 km (12 miles) from Goma.
Residents of Saki and the wider region – many of whom had already fled because of the conflict – have fled their homes.
People scurry carrying mattresses and other essentials on their backs, while dozens pile into overcrowded wooden boats.
Thousands of panicked families fled towards Goma, where hospitals were flooded with injured civilians.
The M23 has controlled vast swathes of mineral-rich eastern Congo since 2021. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced.
Last year, it was also feared that rebels would seize Goma. There was a lull in the fighting in late July, but heavy fighting resumed in October, and worsened towards the end of the year.
Dr. Congo and UN say M23 is supported by Rwanda. The Rwandan authorities neither confirm nor deny this.
On Friday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the current conflict risked escalating into a broader regional war.
Mr. Guterres called on “all actors to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and to end all forms of support for armed groups,” a statement said.
