M23 rebels in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo have captured the airport serving the key city of Bukavu as they continue their advance. The militants' progress comes despite international calls for a ceasefire and a resumption of peace talks.

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels captured a strategic airport in the Democratic Republic of Congo, expanding their stranglehold over the country’s mineral-rich eastern region.

M23 fighters on Friday seized the airport serving Bukavu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, just as African leaders gathered for crisis talks on the escalating crisis. Violence in the restive region has sparked fears of a wider conflict, as a number of neighbouring countries already have a military presence on the ground.

Rwanda-backed rebels have captured eastern Congo’s strategic city of Goma, the hub of a region containing trillions of dollars in mineral wealth that remains largely untapped. It marks a sharp

M23 fighters and Rwandan troops seized the airport serving Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Rwanda-backed rebels in eastern Congo have claimed that they have seized a second airport in the region following a days-long advance towards the Kavumu airport