Pipo dey panik for di main town wey dey east side of Democratic Republic of Congo, as di M23 rebels dey push enter near Goma afta dem don capture one town wey dey close by afta fight wit di kontri army.

Dem hear bomb dem dey explode for outside di town on Thursday, and dem carry hundreds of civilians wey wound go big hospital from di battlefield.

Di M23 rebels don dey enter deep for di past few weeks, dey move near Goma, wey get about two million pipo and e be base for security officials and humanitarian workers.

On Thursday, di rebels capture Sake, one town wey dey 27 kilometers from Goma and one of di last important roads wey lead enter di main town wey still dey under government control, na wetin UN senior official tok.

Di M23 group na one of di about 120 groups wey dey fight for control for east Congo wey get plenty resources, near di border wit Rwanda, for one conflict wey don dey go on for decades and don cause one of di biggest humanitarian crisis for di world.

Di fight don make more than seven million pipo comot from dia house. From di beginning of dis month, M23 don capture towns like Minova, Katale, and Masisi, wey dey west of Goma.

"Di pipo for Goma don suffer well well, just like oda Congolese," na wetin M23 spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka, tok for him X page. "M23 dey on di way to free dem, and dem gatz ready to welcome di freedom."

As di tori of di fight dey spread, schools for Goma send students go house on Thursday morning.

"Dem tell us say di enemies wan enter di town. Na why we tell dem make dem go house," na wetin Hassan Kambale, one secondary school student, tok.

South African National Defence Force (SANDF) armoured vehicles wey dey part of UN peacekeepers for Congo dey head towards di road wey lead to Sake, wey dey 25 kilometers northwest of Goma on January 23, 2025.

Rwanda don deny di accusation wey Congo, US, and UN experts dey make say dem dey support M23 group, wey most of di members na Tutsi wey break away from Congo army more than 10 years ago.

Rwanda government don deny di claim, but last year dem admit say dem get soldiers and missiles for east Congo to protect dia kontri, as dem point to Congo soldiers wey dey gather near dia border. UN experts estimate say about 4,000 Rwanda soldiers dey east Congo.

On Wednesday, Congo Information Minister, Patrick Muyaya, tok for France 24 TV say war wit Rwanda "fit be one option wey dem fit consider."

On Thursday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sharply criticize di new attacks wey M23 launch, including di capture of Sake.

"Dis attack dey affect civilians badly and e go increase di risk of bigger war for di area," na wetin Guterres tok for him statement. E also call on all sides to respect human rights and international laws.

'We run, but some no fit run'

Di US embassy for Kinshasa, Congo capital, for one statement warn about "increased fighting near Sake" and advise US citizens for North Kivu province, wey include Goma, to dey ready to leave dia homes quickly if need be.

UK also issue travel advice wey tok say M23 dey control Sake now and dem advise British citizens to leave Goma while roads still dey open.

Plenty pipo for Sake join di over 178,000 wey don run from M23 advance for di past two weeks.

CBCA Ndosho hospital for Goma don full wit pipo as dem treat hundreds of wounded on Thursday.

Thousands of pipo run from di fight by boat on Wednesday, dey head north across Lake Kivu.

Neema Matondo tok say she run from Sake for night when bombs start dey explode. She say she see dead bodies for road.

"We run, but oda pipo no fit escape," na wetin Matondo tok for AP news agency.

Mariam Nasibu, wey run wit her three children, dey cry — one of her pikin lose one leg because of bomb explosion.

UN peacekeepers wey dem dey call MONUSCO get base for Goma but e no clear wetin dem go do if di town fall enter M23 hand.

No wahala for Goma road

Earlier dis month, M23 fighters capture Masisi, di headquarters of Masisi territory for North Kivu province wey dey 80 kilometers northwest of Goma and get about 40,000 pipo.

Di fight wey dey near Goma dey about 10 kilometers away.

Di rebel group don take over di mountains near Goma for di past two years and dem dey threaten to scatter di town economy by capturing di Minova port for di west.

FARDC and di fighters wey dey support di army don set up security lines around di town.

But analysts dey doubt say dis soldiers fit do anything if di town dey attacked.

For December, dem cancel one meeting between Congo President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwanda President Paul Kagame, as part of peace talks wey Angola dey lead.

At dis stage, "nothing fit stop M23 and Rwanda from trying to capture Goma," na wetin Reagan Miviri, one researcher for Ebuteli research center, tok for AFP news agency.

On Thursday, Kagame go Ankara, where Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offer to help "to solve di matter and contribute to peace for di region if both sides agree."

East Congo get plenty minerals and e don dey full of fighting groups since di 1990s.