The M23 rebel group, which has taken control of large parts of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in recent years, now says it has captured the key city of Goma, the largest in the area, from government forces.

Residents in eastern Congo’s largest city of Goma are fleeing after Rwanda-backed rebels claimed to have captured the regional hub from Congolese forces.

Rwanda-backed rebels say 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.