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UNITED NATIONS — <\/span>The United Nations’ acting top envoy for Congo warned the U.N. Security Council on Thursday that the conflict in mineral-rich eastern Congo<\/a> is escalating and expanding, with increasing use of heavy weapons and offensive drones<\/a> posing serious risks to civilians.<\/p>\n Vivian van de Perre said that despite the withdrawal of Rwanda-backed M23 rebels and their allies from the town of Uvira under international pressure<\/a> in January, clashes are escalating in the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu between the M23 and Congolese army forces and their supporters.<\/p>\n \u201cThe situation in South Kivu remains tense and the renewed hostilities have expanded and shifted the front lines, including toward Burundi\u2019s border, increasing the risk of a regional conflagration,\u201d she warned.<\/p>\n Eastern Congo has been battered by decades of unrest as government forces fight more than 100 armed groups, the most potent being M23<\/a>, often over access to its mineral riches<\/a>. M23 fighters made a major advance into the region early last year, seizing Goma and other key cities as they quickly expanded their presence.<\/p>\n Van de Perre, who heads the nearly 9,000-member U.N. peacekeeping force in Congo known as MONUSCO, said the situation in Ituri province also \u201cremains alarming,\u201d with numerous casualties from violence linked to one rebel group while another group has been attacking mining sites.<\/p>\n Van de Perre cited two \u201cconcerning\u201d emerging elements: the conflict is expanding from North and South Kivu into Tshopo province, and the use of heavy weapons and drones in urban areas poses risks to civilians and civilian infrastructure, which she said includes \u201crecent incidents affecting sites such as Bangoka Airport in Kisangani and in Goma town.\u201d<\/p>\n At the same time, she said, M23 is consolidating parallel administrative structures in areas under its control, which include Goma, \u201cfurther undermining state authority and complicating the delivery of humanitarian assistance.\u201d<\/p>\n