International sanctions against Rwanda will reduce the incentive for Kinshasa to engage in peace talks with M23 rebels who have made lightning advances in eastern Congo this year, a proscribed Rwandan minister has said.

As Rwanda-backed M23 rebels continue their advance into eastern Congo’s South Kivu province, the wives of missing Congolese soldiers are left with more questions than answers, living in precarious conditions.

R ulers of the Democratic Republic of Congo have rarely, if ever, fully controlled the east of Africa’s second-largest country. Kinshasa, its capital, is 1,500km from the provinces (South Kivu, North Kivu and Ituri) that border the other Great Lakes countries (Burundi,

Rwanda-backed rebels reached the center of east Congo’s second largest city, Bukavu, on Sunday morning and took control of the South Kivu province administrative office after little resistance from government forces,

M23 rebels have advanced into the centre of Bukavu, South Kivu’s capital, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Burundi troops -- allies of Kinshasa -- were still deploying Tuesday in east DR Congo, as the UK announced it was suspending most direct bilateral aid to Rwanda over an

As the M23 rebels, supported by Rwanda, push further into South Kivu province in eastern Congo, the wives of the missing Congolese soldiers find themselves grappling with uncertainty, facing a harsh reality filled with unanswered questions and unstable living conditions.

After the M23 Rwanda-backed rebels Feb. 16 occupied Bukavu, a second major city in mineral-rich eastern Congo, Catholic bishops and experts are warning this offensive in the provinces of North and South Kivu signals a clear intent to establish a permanent foreign country presence in the region.

International sanctions against Rwanda will reduce the incentive for Kinshasa to engage in peace talks with M23 rebels who have made lightning advances in eastern Congo this year, a proscribed Rwandan minister has said.

Democratic Republic of Congo Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka said the security and humanitarian situation in the region 'has reached alarming levels.'

Rebels Call for Peace Talks as Pressure Begins to Mount on Rwanda | Firstpost Africa | N18G The Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have once again expressed a desire to peacefully resolve the crisis in Eastern DR Congo.

Banks are still shut, basic services such as trade are slowly restarting, and thousands displaced by the conflict are desperate for aid and temporary shelters.