Nearly 3,000 people have been killed in the city of Goma in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the United Nations, after it was captured by rebels following days of fierce fighting with the Congolese army.

The Rwanda-backed rebels who captured a major city in eastern Congo have sought to reassure its residents about their safety.

Congolese troops have fought back against Rwanda-backed rebels who the U.N. says are moving fast into the South Kivu province after seizing the region’s largest city and an international airport