The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have broken off diplomatic ties after an escalation in fighting in eastern Congo near the border with its neighbour.

France expresses its solidarity regarding the Democratic Republic of Congo and condemns actions by Rwanda in the country, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Monday. "France strongly condemns the offensive led by the M23,

Fleeing prisoners streamed from the torched jail as Rwanda-backed rebels claim they have captured the strategic city

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.

People who fled M23 rebels around Goma, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, have found themselves with nowhere left to go.

Congo has severed diplomatic ties with Rwanda as fighting between Rwanda-backed rebels and government forces rages around the key eastern city of Goma, leaving at least 13 peacekeepers and foreign soldiers dead and displacing thousands of civilians.

Rwanda has been urged to withdraw its advancing troops from the outskirts of Goma, a mineral-rich city in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Congolese M23 rebels entered the centre of the eastern city of Goma on Monday, two witnesses said, hours after they claimed to have seized the city despite the United Nations Security Council demanding an end to the offensive.

The city’s capture came following a 48-hour deadline imposed by the group for the Congolese army to surrender their weapons.

The Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday called for the United Nations to sanction Rwanda, accusing its neighbour of issuing a "declaration of war" by sending more troops over the border. Kinshasa said the reinforcements were joining fighters with the Rwandan-backed M23 force closing in on Goma, capital of DRCongo's North Kivu province.

In a tit-for-tat action, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda are recalling diplomats from each other's capitals. The actions come amid intense fighting between Congolese forces and Rwandan-backed fighters in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo,