M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo were reported to have taken the key eastern city of Goma in fierce fighting with government forces that sent streams of refugees fleeing area communities.

The M23 armed group and Rwandan soldiers entered the centre of Goma on Sunday night after weeks of advancing on the main city in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s North Kivu province.

A Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) soldier stands in position at the Grande Barrier border amid clashes between M23 the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC), at the border crossing point at Gisenyi,

Rwandan-backed M23 rebels marched into the centre of Goma, the largest city in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.