Fighting has escalated sharply in recent weeks in eastern Congo, where rebels have seized key towns and are closing in on the city of Goma, the government’s last stronghold in the North Kivu province,

Armed rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo have closed in on Goma, a major city in the country. This comes as thousands have fled their homes to escape the violence. NBC News' Kier Simmons has more on the invasion.

Many Congolese see the rebel advance as an invasion of their country by a foreign power in an attempt to seize land and Congo’s valuable rare minerals.