A rebel alliance claimed the capture of the biggest city in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s mineral-rich eastern region this week, pushing back against resistance from government troops backed by regional and UN intervention 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

The UN says hundreds of people are wounded and that bodies are lying in the streets of Goma in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo following an advance by M23 rebels on the key city The rebels' claim that they seized the airport has been confirmed by diplomatic and security sources UN experts and others have long accused neighbouring Rwanda of backing the M23,