UN rights council convenes urgent session on escalating violence in eastern Congo

The U.N. Human Rights Council is holding an urgent session on violence in eastern Congo, where Rwanda-backed rebels have captured the city of Goma. Since late January, around 3,000 people have been killed and nearly 2,900 injured. Congo's government is urging the council to hold Rwanda and the M23 rebels accountable for crimes against humanity. They are also calling for a fact-finding mission to investigate human rights abuses in the region. Rwanda's representative claims that armed groups from the 1994 genocide pose a threat to their security. The council is expected to discuss a draft resolution from Congo to establish an independent investigation into the situation.