Congo's president says he is going to launch a unity government, as violence spreads across the country's east and pressure mounts over his handling of the crisis. On Saturday, in some of his first statements since Rwandan-backed rebels captured major cities in eastern Congo,

Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi will launch a unity government, his spokesperson said on Saturday, as he faces domestic pressure over his handling of an offensive by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in eastern provinces.

M23 rebels, supported by about 4,000 troops from neighboring Rwanda, according to UN experts, have been leading an insurgency in the central African country since last month. The rebels captured the eastern city of Goma,

On February 16th soldiers from M 23 marched single-file through the streets of Bukavu, eastern Congo’s second-largest city. The beleaguered remains of the Congolese army had retreated without a fight. Rebel fighters toting grenade-launchers and machine-guns took triumphant selfies in the city’s main square.

The United Nations Security Council condemned Rwanda for backing a rebellion in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and ordered its troops to withdraw from the country.

The United Nations Security Council on Friday called on Rwanda's military to stop supporting the M23 rebel group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and immediately withdraw all troops from Congolese territory "without preconditions.