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.

In 2012, when M23 rebels appeared poised to seize control of a major city in eastern Congo, western countries suspended aid to put pressure on Rwanda to withdraw its support.

By Yassin Kombi and Sonia Rolley GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) -President Paul Kagame said Rwanda was ready for "confrontation" as he rejected criticism over his backing for M23 rebels who were pushing south on Thursday in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo after capturing the major city of Goma.

A conflict that has raged for decades reached a flashpoint this week when rebels backed by Rwanda marched on a key Congolese city in a bid to occupy territory and exploit minerals.

As an East African bloc urged an immediate ceasefire in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwandan-backed M23 rebels who seized the city of Goma extended their advance on Wednesday, and Congo said it planned a campaign to recover lost territory.

After a lightning offensive, M23 rebels now control Goma, a large city in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

By Yassin Kombi and Sonia RolleyGOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - Rwandan President Paul Kagame blasted criticism of his country's role in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo where rebels his government backs have seized its largest city,

Congolese President, Félix Tshisekedi, has said he will not concede defeat to the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels, who have seized control of most of the major city of Goma in eastern Congo.Tshisekedi, called on the population in the east of the resource-rich country to resist the fighters,

Following the fall of Goma, the capital of North Kivu Province in eastern DR Congo, into the hands of the AFC/M23 rebel alliance, Corneille Nangaa, its political leader said the group is undeterred to march to Kinshasa,

As the rebels gained the upper hand in the battlefield by capturing most of Goma - the biggest city in the east - South Africa fired a diplomatic salvo, warning that further attacks on its troops would be considered a "declaration of war".

Rwanda has never admitted to military involvement in the conflict. Still, it alleges that the DRC supports and shelters the FDLR armed group, created by former Hutu leaders who massacred Tutsis during the 1994 Rwandan genocide.