C orneille nangaa sits in an armchair in a five-star-hotel in Goma, the largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and stretches out his hand. “Thank you for embracing the terrorists,” he jokes, to laughter from his entourage.

The rebel leader whose fighters have captured Goma, the biggest city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, has vowed to continue their offensive all the way to the capital, Kinshasa. Corneille Nangaa, who heads an alliance of rebel groups that includes the M23, said their ultimate aim was to topple President Félix Tshisekedi's government.

Rwanda-backed rebels who have captured eastern Congo’s largest city say they plan to take their rebellion to the capital and seek to gain political power.