Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo have taken over the eastern town of Minova, according to various sources. The fall of the city puts the rebels within 40km (25 miles) of provincial capital,

NZULO, Congo -- The M23 rebel group's advance toward eastern Congo's largest city has displaced over 178,000 people in the past two weeks, the United Nations said, as the fighters closed in on Goma on the border with Rwanda.

A local official reports the M23 rebel group has seized the eastern town of Minova, a main supply route for the provincial capital Goma after forcing out government troops. The Tutsi-led group has been waging a renewed insurgency in the east since 2022.