The M23 is now moving towards the town of Uvira near the Burundi border on the northwestern tip of Lake Tanganyika, the main exit route for fleeing Congolese soldiers. Around 42,000 people have fled the conflict and crossed into Burundi in the past two weeks, the United Nations said Friday.

Rwanda-backed rebels appeared to be heading toward a third major city in eastern Congo, residents said Tuesday, as international pressure rose over the M23's expansion in a mineral-rich region that’s critical for global technology.

Boat traffic returned to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's Lake Kivu on Tuesday as ports re-opened in two cities which have fallen to M23 rebels, a development the United Nations said could facilitate access to humanitarian aid after weeks of fighting and looting.