Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi has vowed “a vigorous and coordinated response” against a rebel alliance that has besieged swaths of the nation’s mineral-rich east and forced hundreds of local troops and foreign mercenaries to surrender.

The Rwanda-backed M23 armed group vowed Thursday to "continue the march of liberation" to the DR Congo capital Kinshasa, as its fighters made further advances in the mineral-rich east of the country.

President Félix Tshisekedi has sent a strong message to Rwandan President Paul Kagame after skipping President William Ruto’s East African Community (EAC) virtual crisis meeting. Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) President Félix Tshisekedi addressed Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame,

Congo’s leader called on young people to massively enlist in the army to help fight Rwanda-backed rebels who were attempting to seize more territory in the country's east as a crucial meeting of neighbors asked the Congolese government to talk with the rebels.

DR Congo's President Félix Tshisekedi said on Thursday that his troops were mounting a military response as Rwanda-backed M23 fighters advanced in the east of the country.

DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi insisted his troops were mounting a "vigorous" response to Rwanda-backed fighters advancing in the country's perennially troubled east and slammed the international community's "silence and inaction". All the while, President Paul Kagame warns Rwanda is ready for "confrontation" as he rejected criticism over his backing for M23 rebels. For in-depth analysis, FRANCE 24's Oliver Farry welcomes Dr Manenji Mangundu, Oxfam International Country Director for the DRC.

Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi said Wednesday that the international community's failure to respond to the worsening security crisis in the country's east was "an affront", saying that Congolese troops were mounting a "vigorous" response to the advance of Rwanda-backed M23 rebels.

The Democratic Republic of Congo's President Félix Tshisekedi is not taking part in regionally brokered talks aimed at ending the rebel assault on the key eastern city of Goma, state media has reported.

President of the Democratic Republic of Congo said on Thursday that his troopers are fighting an insurgence by the Rwandan-backed militant group M23 which recently captured swaths of land in the east.

The group’s announcement came hours after President Felix Tshisekedi called for a massive military mobilisation to resist the rebellion.

Governance consultant Philip Mwangale has outlined the implications of Democratic Republic of Congo President Félix Tshisekedi missing William Ruto's meeting.