Volleys of gunfire rang out in Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern border town of Uvira on Wednesday, local sources said, as clashes broke out among allied forces amid the advance of Rwanda-backed rebels.

As the M23 rebels, supported by Rwanda, push further into South Kivu province in eastern Congo, the wives of the missing Congolese soldiers find themselves grappling with uncertainty, facing a harsh reality filled with unanswered questions and unstable living conditions.

Bangladeshi peacekeepers from the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) ride in an armoured personnel carrier (APC) as they patrol to protect internally displaced Congolese people in their farming fields,

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.

The BBC meets residents of Goma following the rebel takeover and those being forced by the M23 to leave camps.

The M23 rebels have shot minors during their advance in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the UN human rights office said on Tuesday, warning of a further escalation of the conflict. According to Ravina Shamdasani,