M23 rebels said they have advanced into Goma, a large city in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Hundreds of thousands of residents have been displaced.

The M23 rebels announced the capture of Goma in a statement minutes before a 48-hour deadline imposed by the group for the Congolese army to surrender their weapons expired.

The M23 militia, funded and directed by Rwanda, said it had seized the city of Goma, terrifying its people, many of whom sought shelter there after fleeing the rebel advance.