Rwanda-backed rebels captured a second major strategic city in the Democratic Republic of Congo, expanding their dominance over the country’s mineral-rich east amid the widening conflict.

Residents and business owners in eastern Congo’s second largest city are sitting in wait after a night of loud gunfire marking the ongoing advance of Rwanda-backed rebels

Analysts say the deadly march by Rwanda-backed rebels across eastern Congo could widen into a regional conflict drawing in even more countries, and two neighboring nations with the most involvement in the mineral-rich area might be the key to stopping the violence.