Rwandan-backed rebels captured the city of Goma in eastern Congo early Monday, according to a press release by the M23 rebel movement. The city's capture came following a 48-hour deadline imposed by the group for the Congolese army to surrender their weapons.

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.

STORY: Rwandan-backed fighters on Sunday closed in on eastern Congo's largest city of Goma……forcing thousands of civilians to flee, and grounding flights from the local airport as government forces battled to stop the rebels from seizing the city.