The Democratic Republic of Congo's foreign minister on Friday accused Rwanda of illegally occupying part of its territory, after the M23 rebel group captured the eastern Congolese city of Goma.

The Rwanda-backed M23 rebels triggered the ongoing hostilities by launching an offensive north of Goma, on Oct. 26, 2023, in violation of the Luanda process.

The international community is talking tough on Rwanda’s involvement on the M23 rebellion in eastern DRC. But analysts say due to Kigali’s role in peacekeeping missions across Africa and as a key ally for Western powers,

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 the world had allowed Rwandan President Paul Kagame decades of impunity and failure to hold him accountable for violating international law.

Local sources said Kigali-backed fighters were advancing on a new front and had seized two districts in South Kivu province, after the rebel group’s capture of most of Goma, the capital of North Kivu.