Rebel forces backed by Rwanda have captured the town of Masisi in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to various reports. This is the second town seized by the M23 group in as many days in the mineral-rich North Kivu province.

Civil society and a local politician say rebels with the M23 group have seized two key towns in eastern Congo as they advance in the volatile region.

For 30 years, the mineral-rich east has suffered from the ravages of fighting between local and foreign armed groups, dating back to the regional wars of the 1990s

This is the second town seized by the M23 group in as many days in the mineral-rich North Kivu province. The group has taken control of vast swathes of eastern DR Congo since 2021

Masisi, with a population of around 40,000, which lies about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the North Kivu provincial capital Goma, is rich in agriculture, livestock, and minerals.