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.

Critical minerals factor into the fight.

Rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have vowed to take their fight to the country's capital – but their attempts to march south are have been met by resistance.

Rwanda-backed rebels claimed on Monday they captured eastern Congo’s strategic city of Goma, the hub of a region containing trillions of dollars in mineral wealth that remains largely untapped.

As Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo push south towards the city of Bukavu, they are likely to have to fight their way through thousands of troops from Burundi, ramping up the risk of a return to full-blown regional war.

The worsening conflict in eastern Congo has led to a surge in human rights violations including summary executions, the bombing of displacement camps, reports of gang rape and other sexual violence, the U.

South Africa often uses its diplomatic heft to position itself as defender of the "global south" on the world stage, but the deaths of 13 of its soldiers in eastern Congo fighting have exposed an inability to project hard power in its own backyard.

Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo - Residents and M23 supporters shout slogans as they celebrate the takeover of the city by M23 fighters at the governor's office compound in Goma, after the M23 (March 23 Movement) rebel group launched a large-scale offensive in eastern DRC.

South Korea plans to issue a travel ban for an eastern province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo due to intensifying fighting between government and rebel forces in the country, the foreign ministry said Friday.

"It wasn't Guinea-worm disease. After receiving treatment, he was able to resume his life as a fisherman. I was very proud to have helped him." In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the elimination of guinea worm marks a major achievement in the prevention and control of neglected tropical diseases.