By Yassin Kombi and Sonia Rolley GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - Rwanda's President Paul Kagame said he agreed with the U.S. government on the need for a ceasefire in eastern Congo but gave no indication of bowing to calls for Rwandan troops and the M23 rebels they support to withdraw from Goma.

Rwandan-backed M23 rebels asserted their control over east Congo's largest city Goma on Thursday by calling on residents to resume normal life, even as the group clashed with Congolese troops as they tried to take more territory.

The scene is the result of the invasion of Goma on January 27th by M23, an armed group under the control of Rwanda, Congo’s neighbour, which abuts the city. Paul Kagame, Rwanda’s president, has escalated a crisis whose origins go back decades.

Kigali, Rwanda | THE INDEPENDENT | Rwanda’s president Paul Kagame has criticized the efforts by the East African Community and the international community as a whole for failing to resolve the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo-DRC.

The president of crisis-hit Democratic Republic of Congo was set to meet his Rwandan counterpart at an emergency summit on Wednesday, as fighters backed by Kigali appeared on the brink of seizing the key city of Goma.

Kenya's President William Ruto chaired a summit for the East African Community (EAC) heads of state to discuss the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Cong (DRC).

During his address to the East African Community Heads of State extraordinary meeting, Mr Kagame said Mr Ramaphosa was pretending to be a peacekeeper in DRC

The Democratic Republic of Congo's foreign minister on Friday accused Rwanda of illegally occupying part of its territory, after the M23 rebel group captured the eastern Congolese city of Goma.

There has been fierce fighting as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels advance towards the second-largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, marking a further escalation in the region's conflict. M23 fighters have been moving south, towards Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu, after capturing the largest city in the region, Goma.

On January 27, M23 rebels, a group synonymous with the March 23 Movement claimed that they had taken over Goma, on the

Rwandan-backed M23 rebels say they are now in control of the key eastern Congolese city of Goma. Their fighters continue to claim more territory in one of the world's most mineral-rich territories.