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UNITED NATIONS (AP) \u2014 Top United Nations officials in Africa warned an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday that the offensive of Rwanda-backed rebels<\/a> in mineral-rich eastern Congo is threatening peace in the wider region.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is imperative that this council takes urgent and decisive steps to avert a wider regional war,” said Bintou Keita, U.N. special envoy for Congo.<\/p>\n The seizure of major cities in eastern Congo by the M23 rebel group<\/a> in recent weeks and statements by key parties show that \u201cthe risk of a regional conflagration is more real today than ever before,\u201d said Huang Xia, U.N. special envoy for Africa’s Great Lakes region, which includes Congo, Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda.<\/p>\n See for yourself \u2014 The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n France\u2019s U.N. Ambassador Nicolas De Riviere urged the council to quickly adopt a draft resolution circulated by his country two weeks ago that reaffirms support for Congo\u2019s territorial integrity and sovereignty, urges an end to the M23 offensive<\/a> and the withdrawal of Rwandan troops, and calls for the urgent resumption of talks.<\/p>\n \u201cThe risk of a regional war is increasing each day,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The M23 is the most prominent of more than 100 armed groups vying for control of eastern Congo\u2019s trillions of dollars in mineral wealth. The region is rich in gold and coltan, a key mineral used in consumer electronics like laptops and smartphones.<\/p>\n The rebels are supported by about 4,000 troops from neighboring Rwanda, according to U.N. experts, and at times have vowed to march as far as Congo\u2019s capital, Kinshasa, over 1,000 miles away.<\/p>\n In a lightning three-week offensive, the M23 took control of eastern Congo\u2019s main city Goma<\/a> and seized the second largest city, Bukavu, on Sunday.<\/p>\n Keita, who also heads the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo, told the Security Council that since then, the M23 has kept advancing, seizing the town of Kamanyola at the intersection of three borders \u2014 Congo, Rwanda and Burundi.<\/p>\n Congo\u2019s Foreign Minister Th\u00e9r\u00e8se Kayikwamba Wagner demanded the Security Council to order the immediate withdrawal of Rwandan troops.<\/p>\n \u201cThese forces have trampled on international law, brought death and devastation and violated our sovereignty,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Rwanda\u2019s U.N. Ambassador Ernest Rwamucyo said \u201cAfrican leadership must drive the resolution of this conflict,\u201d criticizing Congo\u2019s president for seeking sanctions against his country from Western governments.<\/p>\n At this stage, the U.N. doesn\u2019t know the M23 agenda, the intention of its backers or how far they will go and why, said Huang, the Great Lakes U.N. envoy.<\/p>\n \u201cThis situation must stop before we see the triggering of a widespread regional war, the consequences of which would be devastating\u201d and undermine efforts over the past decade to bring stability to the central Africa region, Huang said.<\/p>\n The U.N. Human Rights Council this month launched a commission that will investigate atrocities<\/a>, including allegations of rapes and killings akin to \u201csummary executions\u201d by both sides.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nTrusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox<\/h3>\n