Congo: Governor killed as fighting intensifies

Goma: The M23 rebel group killed a governor as they moved through eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Congolese army confirmed late on Friday.

The governor of Congo's North Kivu province, Peter Chirimwami, has died from injuries sustained during fighting on the front line, according to the military spokesperson.

As the fighting between M23 and Congolese armed forces intensifies, the UK, US, and France on Friday urged their citizens to leave Goma in North Kivu province while airports and borders were still open.

The Western governments warned that the situation could worsen rapidly as M23 encircled Goma, a regional hub for security and humanitarian efforts that lies close to the border with Rwanda.

The United Nations mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) said Friday that its peacekeepers have "been actively engaged in intense combat" against M23 forces.

"Over the past 48 hours MONUSCO heavy artillery fire carried out fire missions against M23 positions," the UN said.

UN chief Antonio Guterres was "alarmed by the resumption of hostilities," his spokesman said in a statement on Thursday.

The M23 group has been making significant territorial gains in the mineral-rich eastern DRC in recent weeks.

Earlier this month, rebels seized the towns of Minova, Katale, and Masisi, west of Goma.

M23 takes its name from an agreement between the Congolese government and previous rebels signed on March 23, 2009. The group said the government had violated the deal.

The rebels are mainly composed of ethnic Tutsis who broke away from the Congolese army over a decade ago.

M23 is one of around 100 armed groups that have been trying to get a foothold in Congo. The decades-long conflict has created one of the world's largest humanitarian crises.

The UN said the conflict in the North Kivu province had displaced over 400,000 people this year.

"The number of displacements is now over 400,000 people this year alone, almost double the number reported last week," Matthew Saltmarsh, a spokesperson for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), said Friday.

Saltmarsh warned the UNHCR is "gravely concerned about the safety and security of civilians and internally displaced people" in the east.

"Heavy bombardments caused families from at least nine displacement sites on the periphery of Goma to flee into the city to seek safety and shelter," he added.