Fighting continues to rage in Goma, the largest city in eastern Congo, as Rwandan-backed M23 rebels face resistance from government forces and militias. The rebels stormed into the city of two million people on Monday, marking the worst escalation of violence since 2012 in a conflict that's been simmering for three decades, fuelled by the Rwandan genocide and a struggle for control of natural resources. The situation took a dire turn with the killing of four more South African peacekeepers on Tuesday.

Fighting is still raging in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with some soldiers and pro-government militiamen refusing to back down despite dozens of their troops surrendering, said residents and UN sources. Residents reported hearing gunfire and explosions in several neighbourhoods on Tuesday morning.

"I have heard the crackle of gunfire from midnight until now ... it is coming from near the airport," an elderly woman in the northern Majengo neighbourhood of Goma, near the airport, informed Reuters by phone.

The United Nations and other international powers are increasingly concerned that the ongoing conflict in Congo could escalate into a regional war, reminiscent of the devastating wars between 1996-1997 and 1998-2003 that claimed millions of lives, primarily due to hunger and disease.

Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance, which includes the M23 group, has stated that the rebels’ goal is to overthrow President Felix Tshisekedi and his government in Kinshasa, located more than 1,500 kilometres from Goma.

In recent diplomatic developments, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Rwandan President Paul Kagame held a phone call, emphasising the need for a ceasefire.

However, the situation on the ground remains grim as four more South African peacekeepers were killed in Congo, raising the total number of South African military casualties to 13 within the past week. Three of the peacekeepers died in crossfire between the Congolese army and the M23 rebels on Monday, while another succumbed to injuries sustained during the fighting.

Bishop Willy Ngumbi from Goma reported that bombs struck a house where priests were staying and the maternity ward of a Catholic hospital on Monday. He described the situation as dire, "The town is a powder keg. The youth are armed, and the fighting is now taking place in the town."

The International Committee of the Red Cross stated that on Monday, it treated 117 people injured in the violence, including 86 with bullet wounds, at a hospital it supports in Goma.

Additionally, on Monday, Congolese and Rwandan soldiers exchanged artillery fire near the border, with Rwanda's army confirming five deaths and 26 injuries.

The ongoing conflict has caused thousands to flee Goma, which has long been an important regional hub for humanitarian aid to displaced individuals. Since the beginning of the year, hundreds of thousands have been forced to leave their homes, adding to the 3 million displaced in eastern Congo last year.

Goma is also a key trade route for ores such as tantalum and tin, essential for manufacturing phones and computers.

"The city is in real difficulty, and if it hasn’t fallen overnight, it will in the coming days," Jean-Noel Barrot, French Foreign Minister, conveyed Sud Radio. "Rwanda must put down its weapons, calm must return, and dialogue needs to restart."

The M23 group is the latest in a series of insurgencies led by ethnic Tutsis and backed by Rwanda. The group resumed its armed struggle in 2022, almost a decade after a previous uprising that briefly took control of Goma.

Recently, the M23 fighters made rapid advances through North Kivu province, located on the Rwanda-Congo border, ignoring calls from world leaders to cease their offensive.

Rwanda has rejected demands for its troops to withdraw, claiming that its security is under threat and accusing the Congolese government of sabotaging peace efforts. UN experts estimate that Rwanda has deployed between 3,000 and 4,000 troops in eastern Congo to assist the M23 rebels.

In response, Congo’s government has urged international powers to put pressure on Rwanda, potentially through sanctions, to halt the M23’s attack.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Congolese President Tshisekedi on Monday, condemning the assault on Goma by the Rwanda-backed M23 and reaffirming the United States' commitment to the sovereignty of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The UN Security Council was scheduled to meet on Tuesday to discuss the ongoing crisis.

In Kinshasa, dozens of young men took to the streets on Tuesday, burning tyres and chanting anti-Rwanda slogans in protest.

Rwanda argues that ethnic Hutu militias, some of which have links to the extremist groups responsible for the 1994 genocide that killed nearly 1 million Tutsis and moderate Hutus, pose a significant threat to its security.