M23 rebels continue to advance south in DRC

The M23 group is advancing further south in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), local and humanitarian sources said on Thursday, after the group vowed it would march all the way to the capital Kinshasa.

The mineral-rich east of DRC has long been roiled by armed groups, but the resurgence and success of the M23 group has shaken the region and provoked international concern.

M23 seized two areas without a fight on Wednesday before advancing on Kalehe town, on Lake Kivu.

The hub is the key transit point for Goma to the north and South Kivu's capital city Bukavu, which could also come under threat if M23 continue to push south.

"The fighting is concentrated around the mining town of Nyabibwe," roughly 100 km north of Bukavu, a civil society representative said, on condition of anonymity.

The Congolese armed forces (FARDC), assisted by local militias and Burundian soldiers, have been deployed in the region, local and humanitarian sources said.

In South Kivu, the Congolese army has established its main line of defence in Kavumu city, which has an airfield.

Meanwhile, some of the Goma-based Congolese forces driven out by M23 have taken refuge in Bukavu.

On Thursday, a representative of the group said the advance would continue "all the way to Kinshasa".

DRC says Rwanda backs M23 and Rwandan forces helped M23 militants capture Goma, the biggest city in eastern Congo, on Monday.

Rwanda, on the other hand, denies supporting M23, despite reports from UN experts who estimate there are up to 4,000 Rwandan forces in DRC. Rwanda has accused DRC of enlisting Hutu rebels and former militiamen whom it blames for the 1994 genocide.