DRCongo rebels target capital Kinshasa as conflict escalates

Rwanda-backed rebels said they would push on to the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo after capturing a key city in the country’s east.

The M23 militia is currently more than 900 miles (1,500 kilometers) from Kinshasa, but one of the group’s political leaders said they aim to “take power and lead the country,” The Associated Press reported. The clashes have exacerbated a sprawling humanitarian crisis and triggered diplomatic friction across sub-Saharan Africa, with fears the conflict could escalate into a full-blown war.

South Africa’s president said further attacks on its peacekeeping forces stationed in DRC would be considered a “declaration of war,” while Rwanda’s leader accused Pretoria of being a “belligerent force.”

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