Rebels seize key town in eastern Congo

KINSHASA: Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have seized a strategic eastern town near the provincial capital Goma in Democratic Republic of Congo, local politicians said on Sunday.

The Tutsi-led M23 group has been waging a renewed insurgency in eastern Congo since 2022. Congo and the United Nations accuse neighbouring Rwanda of backing the group with its own troops and weapons. Rwanda says it has taken what it calls defensive measures. Fighting has flared in recent weeks, leading to territorial gains for M23, which is now in control of Masisi, a town and local administrative centre about 80 km (50 miles) from Goma, provincial parliament member Alexis Bahunga told Reuters.