Thousands of families have been displaced by violence in eastern Congo, where Rwanda-backed rebels last month seized the key city of Goma in a blitz offensive in the mineral-rich region.

Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have seized control of a mining town in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's South Kivu province, eight sources said on Wednesday, in an apparent violation of a unilateral ceasefire they declared this week.

The Rwanda-backed rebels who captured a major city in eastern Congo have sought to reassure its residents about their safety

The U.N.’s top human rights body has condemned Rwanda’s support of rebel fighters across the border in eastern Congo and ordered a team of experts to examine rights violations in the region

Nearly three thousand people have been killed in the city of Goma in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the United Nations, after the provincial capital was captured by rebels following days of fierce fighting with the Congolese army.

Officials and residents say Rwanda-backed rebels have gained ground in eastern Congo despite the unilateral ceasefire they declared earlier this week, taking control of a town 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the provincial capital of Bukavu.