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In the Democratic Republic of Congo, rebel group M23 says it has taken over the eastern city of Kitshanga.

Serious clashes initially took place over the weekend between M23 fighters and members of a self-defense group backed by the Congolese army, M23 spokesman Willy Ngoma told the German news agency on Monday. Accordingly, the rebels gained the upper hand and with it control of the city in the unstable North Kivu province.

It is the second time that the rebels have taken the city with around 60,000 inhabitants. Kitshanga had been under militia control for a short time at the end of January. According to the human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW), the M23 rebels have been increasingly attacking civilians and the Congolese army in North Kivu for about a month.

In March, the Congolese government agreed to a ceasefire with the group founded in 2012. According to HRW, the new conflict has led to a sharp increase in the number of internally displaced people and cases of sexual violence. Human rights activists had accused the rebel group of war crimes in the past.

A few days ago, Deputy Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Bemba accused the Rwandan government of supporting the M23. According to several UN reports, the neighboring country would help the rebels financially and militarily. Rwanda denies this.

Eastern Congo is considered one of the most dangerous regions in the world. There are said to be approximately 130 different armed groups active throughout the country. Many of them are concerned with controlling valuable mineral resources. Islamist groups such as the ADF (Allied Democratic Forces), which is considered an offshoot of the terrorist militia Islamic State (IS), also commit violence in the region.

(yam/sda/dpa)