GOMA, Congo (AP) — 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.
The decades-long conflict in eastern Congo escalated in January, when the M23 rebels advanced and seized the strategic city of Goma, followed by the town of Bukavu in February.
The latest escalation came after the presidents of Congo and Rwanda held unexpected talks in Qatar on Wednesday and called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.
The meeting followed a failed attempt to bring Congo’s government
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