As Rwanda-backed M23 rebels make significant territorial gains in eastern Congo, the U.N. Security Council has met in an urgent session, warning of the risk of a wider regional war.

The U.N. Security Council convened on Wednesday to address the escalating conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels advance south towards Uvira after seizing Bukavu, marking the most significant loss for Congo since Goma fell in January.

“It is imperative that this council takes urgent and decisive steps to avert a wider regional war,” said Bintou Keita, head of the U.N. mission in the DRC. Congo’s foreign minister, Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, urged action, saying, “Standing by silently while civilians are killed is not a solution.”

The M23 advance represents the most serious escalation in over a decade of conflict in eastern Congo, rooted in the aftermath of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide and the struggle over Congo’s mineral wealth. While the U.N., Congo, and Western powers accuse Rwanda of backing M23 with arms and troops, Kigali denies any involvement. “Rwanda cannot take the blame for the problems that DRC has faced endemically,” said Rwanda’s U.N. Ambassador Ernest Rwamucyo.

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