By james art 
Goma, Congo (AP)-Goma International Airport was evacuated and trade flights are temporarily suspended on Sunday, as battles between Rwanda-supported rebels and government forces rage around the key city in East Congo, leaving at least 13 peacekeeping and foreign soldiers killed and banished thousands of civilians.
The M23 rebel group has achieved significant territorial acquisitions along the Rwanda border in recent weeks, approaching Goma, the capital of the province, which has a population of about 2 million people and is a regional security center and humanitarian effort.
The Goma International Airport, located in the eastern part of the city, was evacuated by the military and commercial flights were temporarily stopped due to battles, an airport agent told the Associated Press. The agent has requested anonymity as he is not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
The United Nations organization told Sunday to its employees not to go to the airport and to hide on the spot, according to an internal email seen by the app.
Congo, the United States and UN experts have accused Rwanda of supporting the M23, which consists mainly of ethnic Tutsi, which has been separated from the Congoan army more than a decade ago. It is one of about the 100 armed groups that fight for stabilization in the mineral-rich region, where a long-lasting conflict has created one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world.
The Rwanda government denies supporting the rebels, but last year admitted that it had troops and missile systems in the East Congo to protect its security by pointing to the pile of Congoy forces near the border. UN experts estimate that there are up to 4000 Rwandia forces in Congo.
The Congoan Foreign Ministry said late Saturday that it interrupted diplomatic relations with Rwanda and withdraw all diplomatic staff from the country “with immediate effect”.
Rwanda Foreign Affairs Minister Olivier Ndhungirche told the AP on Sunday that the decision to interrupt the links was a unilateral move of Congo, “which was even published on social media before being sent to our embassy.”
“For us, we have taken appropriate measures to evacuate our remaining diplomat in Kinshasa, which was a constant threat of Congoan officials. And this was achieved on Friday, one day before the publication of this so -called verbal note on social media, “he said.
In the last 48 hours, two UN peacekeepers from South Africa and one of Uruguay have been killed and 11 peacemakers have been injured and hospitalized, said UN Secretary -General Antonio Guterish spokesman on Sunday before an extraordinary UN Security Council meeting.
The UN chief repeated his “strictest condemnation” of the M23 offensive “with the support of Rwanda’s defense forces” and called on the rebel group to immediately suspend all hostile actions and withdraw its powers, UN spokesman Stefan Dyejarik said.
On Sunday morning, a strong shooting echoed in Goma, just a few kilometers (miles) from the front line. Dozens of displaced children and adults escaped from the Canyaruchina camp, one of the largest in the East Congo, right near the border with Rwanda, and headed south to Goma.
“We are running because we saw soldiers on the border with Rwanda throw bombs and shoot,” said Safi Sangie, who was heading for Goma.
“We are tired and afraid, our children are at risk of hunger,” she added.
Some of the displaced ones worry that they will not be safe in Goma as well.
“We’re going to Goma, but I heard there are bombs in Goma as well, so now we don’t know where to go,” said Adele Shimier.
Hundreds of people have tried to escape to Rwanda through the Grand Barrier border east of Goma on Sunday. Migration staff carefully checked the travel documents.
“I go from the other side to see if we will have a place for asylum because for the moment the security in the city is not guaranteed,” Muahadi Amani, a resident of Goma, told the app.
Earlier this week, the rebels took Sake, 27 kilometers (16 miles) from Goma, as fears intensified that the city could soon fall.
The Congo army announced on Saturday that it has backed the M23 offensive with the help of allied forces, including the UN troops and soldiers from the South African Development Community, also known as Samidrc.
In addition to the two South African peacekeepers, seven South African soldiers with Samidirc have been killed in recent days, said the South Africa Ministry of Defense.
Since 2021, the Congo Government and the Allied Forces, including SamidRC and the UN troops, have kept M23 away from Goma. The UN peacekeeping forces entered the Congo more than two decades ago and have about 14,000 peacekeeping forces on the spot.
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The writer of Associated Press Ignatius Ssuuna in Kigali, Rwanda and Edith M. Lederer from the UN contributed to this report.