M23 rebels claim they now control the Congolese city of Goma—an act Congo's government described as a 'declaration of war.'

Residents greeted the arrival of Rwanda-backed rebels with trepidation, some staying indoors and others coming out to cheer in what one called a "show" of happiness.

Thousands of prisoners in the eastern Democratic Republic Congo (DRC) city of Goma escaped in a mass jail break on Monday as Rwanda-backed rebels said they had captured the strategic city.

The three-year insurgency by the Rwanda-backed rebel group M23 has intensified, and the U.N. warned the violence could spill into a wider war.

The M23 rebel group, which has taken control of large parts of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in recent years, now says it has captured the key city of Goma, the largest in the area, from government forces.

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.

Rebels claim to have captured the key city of Goma in the DRC, as the decades-long conflict becomes even more volatile. Sky News takes a look at what's going on.

Congo has severed diplomatic ties with Rwanda as fighting between Rwanda-backed rebels and government forces rages around the key eastern city of Goma.

Fighting has escalated in recent days despite calls from the U.N. Security Council for the insurgents to withdraw.

Clashes in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's besieged city of Goma have killed at least 17 people and injured nearly 370, hospital sources said on Monday, as the Congolese army fought to hold off M23 forces backed by the Rwandan army.

The latest fighting has intensified a humanitarian crisis, displacing more than 400,000 people since the start of the year, and raised fears of sparking a regional war, the U.N. has warned.