The governor of eastern Congo’s North Kivu province has died from injuries sustained during fighting on the front line, a military spokesman said Friday, as M23 rebels closed in on the provincial capital.

The militia seized the pivotal city of Goma, threatening a new humanitarian crisis in a region that has suffered decades of fighting.

The M23 group is one of about 100 armed factions vying for a foothold in eastern Congo in one of Africa’s longest wars, which has displaced 4.5 million people.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh joined regional leaders at the 26th Extraordinary Summit of the East African Community (EAC) to address the ongoing conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC),

GOMA, Congo — The governor of eastern Congo’s North Kivu province has died from injuries ... Banchereau reported from Dakar, Senegal. Associated Press writer Christina Malkia in Kinshasa ...

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The humanitarian situation in the DRC is worsening as fighting intensifies in the eastern part of the country. Already critical after decades of conflict, security has deteriorated further with the new offensive by M23 rebels.

President Paul Kagame has debunked claims made by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and clarified points discussed during conversations between them over the situation in eastern DR Congo.

As an East African bloc urged an immediate ceasefire in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwandan-backed M23 rebels who seized the city of Goma extended their advance on Wednesday, and Congo said it planned a campaign to recover lost territory.

The security situation in the city of Goma is deteriorating, and journalists can no longer report, the media has been forced into silence, there is no stable access to electricity or the internet. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is urgently alerting the international community to this crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and calling on the parties involved in conflict to respect and protect the public’s right to information.

The ICRC has treated more than 600 wounded and injured people since the start of January, of which around half were civilians. A large number of these civilians were women and children.