Rwanda-backed rebels in eastern Congo claimed Friday to have seized a second airport in the region following a days-long advance, as the U.N. warned that the recent escalation of fighting with government forces has left 350,

On 14 February, the M23 rebels, backed by the Rwandan army, seized control of Kavumu Airport, located about 30 kilometres from the provincial capital of South Kivu.

The Rwandan-backed M23 armed group in Democratic Republic of Congo threatened on Tuesday to advance on the provincial capital of Bukavu, citing a "dangerously deteriorating" situation, as Congo rejected a call for direct talks with the rebels.

The Rwanda-backed rebels who seized a major city in eastern Congo have declared a unilateral ceasefire, citing humanitarian grounds. But, there was no sign of them giving up control of Goma at the heart of a region home to trillions of dollars in mineral wealth.

The Rwanda-backed rebels who seized eastern Congo’s key city of Goma have announced a unilateral ceasefire in the region for humanitarian reasons

M23 rebels in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo have captured the airport serving the key city of Bukavu as they continue their advance. The militants' progress comes despite international calls for a ceasefire and a resumption of peace talks.

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels captured a strategic airport in the Democratic Republic of Congo, expanding their stranglehold over the country’s mineral-rich eastern region.

Trucks and cars full of Congolese soldiers carrying their weapons could be seen circulating in Bukavu, South Kivu province on Friday. It came as Rwanda-backed rebels in eastern Congo claimed that they have seized a second airport in the region following a days-long advance.

M23 fighters on Friday seized the airport serving Bukavu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, just as African leaders gathered for crisis talks on the escalating crisis.