Tens of thousands of people are fleeing towns in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as rebel forces move closer to the city of Goma.
Reports from local media indicated that explosions and gunshots were heard in the city, home to over a million people, late on Sunday evening.
A spokesperson for the rebel group informed Reuters that their forces plan to take control of Goma at 03:00 local time (01:00 GMT).
Earlier, the Foreign Minister of DR Congo accused Rwanda of declaring war by allegedly sending troops to support the M23 rebels. Rwanda countered by accusing Kinshasa of backing militias seeking regime change in Kigali.
Kenya has urged for a ceasefire, announcing that the presidents of DR Congo and Rwanda will participate in an emergency regional summit within the next two days.
President William Ruto of Kenya, the current chair of the East African Community, stressed the importance of regional leaders facilitating a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Meanwhile, M23 rebels have called on Congolese troops in Goma to surrender to avoid bloodshed as they continue their advance.
Since 2021, the rebel group has gained control of significant parts of the mineral-rich eastern DR Congo. The UN refugee agency reports that over 400,000 people have been displaced in North and South Kivu provinces near the Rwanda border since the beginning of 2025.
Among those displaced, Alice Feza expressed uncertainty about the future, having fled from various locations and finding herself stranded amid the conflict. She mentioned, "People are fleeing everywhere, and we don't know where to go anymore, because we started fleeing a long time ago. The war catches us here among the host families, now we have nowhere to go."
Key roads around Goma are impassable, and the city's airport is unusable for evacuation or humanitarian operations, according to the UN.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on Rwanda to withdraw its forces from DR Congo and the M23 rebel group to halt its advance on Goma.
Subsequently, 13 peacekeeping soldiers were killed in clashes with rebels, leading the UK to demand an end to attacks on peacekeepers. France's UN representative echoed Guterres' plea for Rwanda to withdraw troops from DR Congo.
Both the DR Congo and the UN assert that Rwanda supports the M23 group, a claim not denied by Rwandan authorities, who attribute the conflict to the Congolese army.
During a Security Council meeting, Rwanda's UN representative Ernest Rwamucyo expressed regret over the international community's condemnation of the M23 rather than the alleged ceasefire violations by the Congolese army.
On Saturday, the UN announced the withdrawal of non-essential staff from Goma while maintaining essential operations in DR Congo.