UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for more efforts to end the crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

During a press conference at the UN headquarters in New York, Guterres described the situation in DRC as "deeply concerning."

Fighting between the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group and Congolese government forces escalated in January. The rebels claimed they had taken control of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province and a key regional hub, before heading south toward Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province.

The conflict in the eastern region "is having an enormous human toll," with thousands of people killed, and hundreds of thousands forced from their homes in the eastern country, he said.

The humanitarian situation in and around Goma is perilous, Guterres said. "Meanwhile, the conflict continues to rage in South Kivu and risks are engulfing the entire region."

"My message is clear: Silence the guns. Stop the escalation. Respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Uphold international human rights law and international humanitarian law," Guterres said.

Highlighting there is no military solution to the crisis, the UN chief said, "It is time for mediation. It is time to end this crisis. It is time for peace."

He urged all players, including neighboring countries, subregional organizations, the African Union and the United Nations, to play an active and constructive role toward an end of the conflict.

Guterres made the appeal for peace ahead of the African Union summit on the DRC situation in Addis Ababa, which he is expected to take part in next week. Enditem

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