Rwanda-backed rebels who captured eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s largest city said on Thursday they want to take their fight to the far-off capital, Kinshasa, while Congo’s president called for a massive military mobilisation to resist the rebellion and his defence minister rejected calls for talks.

The rebel leader whose fighters have captured Goma, the biggest city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, has vowed to continue their offensive all the way to the capital, Kinshasa. Corneille Nangaa, who heads an alliance of rebel groups that includes the M23, said their ultimate aim was to topple President Félix Tshisekedi's government.

The president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo announced a strong response from the Congolese army to the armed attacks by M23 rebels, accusing Rwanda of supporting the rebels and the international and African communities of remaining silent over tensions on the border.

Rwanda-backed rebels who have captured eastern Congo’s largest city say they plan to take their rebellion to the capital and seek to gain political power.

Rwanda is illegally occupying the Democratic Republic of Congo and attempting to orchestrate regime change, the country's foreign minister has told the BBC. Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner said this followed decades of impunity and failure to hold Rwandan President Paul Kagame accountable for violating international law.

The escalating violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo has drawn the attention of the United Kingdom, which is now threatening to withhold aid from Rwanda. ・The UK threatens to withhold funding from Rwanda due to its involvement in the escalating conflict in DRC ・Rwanda receives over $1 billion in global aid annually from the UK ・British