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| Congo city panics as rebels near | Congo city panics as rebels near |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| People are pouring into Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as Tutsi rebels battling the army near the city. | People are pouring into Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as Tutsi rebels battling the army near the city. |
| A BBC reporter says thousands already displaced to the north of Goma are on the move after seeing troops retreat. | A BBC reporter says thousands already displaced to the north of Goma are on the move after seeing troops retreat. |
| Inside the city, the UN has relocated civilian personnel from its HQ near the airport to a base near Lake Kivu. | |
| Meanwhile, the 15-member UN Security Council will be briefed on the latest situation in an emergency meeting on Wednesday evening. | Meanwhile, the 15-member UN Security Council will be briefed on the latest situation in an emergency meeting on Wednesday evening. |
| Panic | Panic |
| Our correspondent says there was a "stampede" in Goma, as thousands of displaced people poured into the city on the third day of fierce fighting in the area. | Our correspondent says there was a "stampede" in Goma, as thousands of displaced people poured into the city on the third day of fierce fighting in the area. |
| Congolese soldiers withdrawing from the village of Kibumba, 30km (20 miles) north of Goma, also retreated to the city, creating a sense of panic among the population, our correspondent adds. | |
| Earlier in Kibumba, our reporter saw an exchange of fire across the Rwandan border. Rwanda denies claims it is backing the rebels. | Earlier in Kibumba, our reporter saw an exchange of fire across the Rwandan border. Rwanda denies claims it is backing the rebels. |
| See detailed map of the area | See detailed map of the area |
| Rwanda's foreign minister said Congolese troops had fired into Rwanda, but its soldiers had not pursued them. | Rwanda's foreign minister said Congolese troops had fired into Rwanda, but its soldiers had not pursued them. |
| The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has spoken to Congolese President Joseph Kabila and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda and he sent envoys to both capitals. | The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has spoken to Congolese President Joseph Kabila and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda and he sent envoys to both capitals. |
| Both President Kabila and the UN have called for more troops to be sent to DR Congo, where the UN has a 17,000 troops - the world's largest peacekeeping force. | Both President Kabila and the UN have called for more troops to be sent to DR Congo, where the UN has a 17,000 troops - the world's largest peacekeeping force. |
| Eastern DR Congo's hellIn pictures: Thousands flee fighting class="" href="/1/hi/world/africa/3075537.stm">Q&A: DR Congo conflict | |
| UN spokesman Madnodge Mounoubai, in the capital, Kinshasa, said the UN was not evacuating Goma. | UN spokesman Madnodge Mounoubai, in the capital, Kinshasa, said the UN was not evacuating Goma. |
| He said civilian personnel were being moved to the lakeside site, a camp for demobilised soldiers, because there were better facilities for the UN staff there including water and food. | He said civilian personnel were being moved to the lakeside site, a camp for demobilised soldiers, because there were better facilities for the UN staff there including water and food. |
| On Tuesday night, General Laurent Nkunda's fighters took the town of Rutshuru, further north near the Ugandan border, giving the rebels control of a long stretch of the road to Goma. | On Tuesday night, General Laurent Nkunda's fighters took the town of Rutshuru, further north near the Ugandan border, giving the rebels control of a long stretch of the road to Goma. |
| Neighbouring Rwanda has been accused of backing Gen Nkunda, who left the army and launched his own low-level rebellion after DR Congo's five-year conflict officially ended in 2003. | Neighbouring Rwanda has been accused of backing Gen Nkunda, who left the army and launched his own low-level rebellion after DR Congo's five-year conflict officially ended in 2003. |
| 'Accusing us wrongly' | 'Accusing us wrongly' |
| On Tuesday evening, Congolese President Joseph Kabila sent two envoys to Kigali to discuss the crisis. But Rwanda continues to deny it has anything to do with the conflict. | On Tuesday evening, Congolese President Joseph Kabila sent two envoys to Kigali to discuss the crisis. But Rwanda continues to deny it has anything to do with the conflict. |
| "They have been accusing us but wrongly. Rwanda has never intervened in the Congo ever since we left on 5 October 2002," Joseph Mutaboba, the Rwandan president's special envoy to the Great Lakes, told the BBC's Network Africa programme. | "They have been accusing us but wrongly. Rwanda has never intervened in the Congo ever since we left on 5 October 2002," Joseph Mutaboba, the Rwandan president's special envoy to the Great Lakes, told the BBC's Network Africa programme. |
| Rwanda has twice invaded its much larger neighbour, saying it wants to stop Hutu rebels from operating there. | Rwanda has twice invaded its much larger neighbour, saying it wants to stop Hutu rebels from operating there. |
| It claims that two rebel brigades are fighting with the Congolese army. | It claims that two rebel brigades are fighting with the Congolese army. |
| Mr Kabila has appealed for a multi-national force to help restore order. | Mr Kabila has appealed for a multi-national force to help restore order. |
| Gen Nkunda says he is fighting to protect the minority Tutsi community from the Hutu militia which carried out the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. | Gen Nkunda says he is fighting to protect the minority Tutsi community from the Hutu militia which carried out the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. |
| But Alistair Dutton, Christian Aid humanitarian manager for Africa, told the BBC that the fighting was also for control of resources. | But Alistair Dutton, Christian Aid humanitarian manager for Africa, told the BBC that the fighting was also for control of resources. |
| Eastern DR Congo is rich in gold and other minerals, such as coltan, used in mobile phones. | Eastern DR Congo is rich in gold and other minerals, such as coltan, used in mobile phones. |
| A peace deal was signed in Goma between the government and various rebel groups at the end of January. | A peace deal was signed in Goma between the government and various rebel groups at the end of January. |
| Although he signed the deal, Gen Nkunda - whose main strongholds are in Kichanga in the Masisi Mountains and Bunagana town bordering Uganda - has always refused to disarm while Rwandan Hutu rebels still operate in the area. | Although he signed the deal, Gen Nkunda - whose main strongholds are in Kichanga in the Masisi Mountains and Bunagana town bordering Uganda - has always refused to disarm while Rwandan Hutu rebels still operate in the area. |
| Return to top | Return to top |
| Are you in Democratic Republic of Congo? Are you affected by the issues in this story? Send us your comments and experiences using the form below. | Are you in Democratic Republic of Congo? Are you affected by the issues in this story? Send us your comments and experiences using the form below. |