Recent clashes with M23 rebels in eastern Congo have resulted in the deaths of at least 13 peacekeepers and foreign soldiers, according to United Nations and army officials. The M23 rebels have made significant territorial gains, encircling the city of Goma, a regional hub with a population of around 2 million people.
The U.N. Security Council has expedited an emergency meeting to address the escalating violence, originally scheduled for Monday but now set for Sunday morning. Congo's army, with the assistance of allied forces including U.N. troops and soldiers from the Southern African Development Community Mission (SAMIDRC), successfully repelled an M23 offensive towards Goma.
