Rwandan-backed rebels have seized control of vast parts of eastern Congo and are now threatening to push westward into two neighboring provinces,

There have been several attempts to resolve the spiralling conflict, rooted in the fallout from Rwanda's 1994 genocide and competition for mineral riches.

Rwanda-backed rebels battling Congo’s army have pushed into a strategic, mineral-rich town in the east, ignoring calls for a ceasefire this week by the Congolese and Rwandan presidents as the M23 rebel group expands its footprint in the conflict-torn African country.