Rwanda-backed M23 rebels claim capture of Goma, Congo’s largest city

Rwanda-backed rebels claim they have captured eastern Congo’s largest city, Goma, as the United Nations describe a “mass panic” among its 2 million people and Congo’s government say the rebel advance was a “declaration of war.” The city’s capture early Monday came following a 48-hour deadline imposed by the group for the Congolese army to surrender their weapons. The M23 rebel movement announced the captured in a statement. In the statement, the rebels urged residents of Goma to remain calm and for members of the Congolese military to assemble at the central stadium.