The M23, whose top brass are mostly Congolese Tutsi, began its insurgency more than three years ago after a decade of dormancy, seizing large parts of North Kivu province before finally grabbing Goma, the provincial capital, on 27 January.

United Nations agencies called for an end to the violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as fighting between

When M23 rebels swept into the Congolese city of Goma this week, world powers urged them to immediately withdraw. Instead, the Rwanda-backed insurgents are intent on showing they can restore order and govern.

The M23 rebels, who said that they captured the city on Monday after a weekslong advance, are one of about 100 armed groups vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo. The conflict escalated with the rebels' advance into Goma, which left bodies on the streets and drove hundreds of thousands of already displaced people to flee once again.

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

The fragile ceasefire in eastern DR Congo is on the verge of collapse as Rwandan-backed M23 rebels reportedly seize control of Nyabibwe town in South Kivu province. The mining town, a key commercial hub between Goma and Bukavu,