Explosions at a rally held by M23 rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo city of Bukavu killed 11 people and wounded 65 others, Corneille Nangaa, head of the rebel alliance that includes M23,

The army of the Democratic Republic of Congo has accused Rwanda of dressing up prisoners in military uniforms in an effort to pass them off as newly-captured rebels linked to the Rwandan genocide.It comes after Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in eastern DR Congo said they had captured fighters from the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) - a militia founded by ethnic Hutus who took part in the 1994 genocide against Rwanda's Tutsis.

UNICEF recorded nearly 600 cases of rape in the week following the fall of Goma, in the east of the country, at the end of January. All sides in the conflict are implicated in these crimes, from the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels to Congolese forces.

The latest conflict in eastern Congo has exposed endemic weaknesses in the country’s military, long known for corruption, extortion and abuse.

The DRC government has accused Rwanda of orchestrating the offensive, citing M23’s military precision and advanced weaponry as clear evidence of foreign support. Rwandan President Paul Kagame denies involvement,

M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo have captured the eastern city of Bukavu with the backing of Rwandan forces, the second major city in the mineral-rich Kivu region to fall in three weeks.

The UN human rights chief accused Rwanda-backed rebels who seized a second major city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) of killing children and attacking hospitals and warehouses storing humanitarian aid.

The Congo River Alliance, a group of rebel outfits including the Rwandan-backed M23, said its fighters "decided to assist the population of Bukavu" in addressing its security challenges under the "old regime".

U.K. authorities are punishing Rwanda over its support of the rebels who now control two major cities in eastern Congo.