There have been several attempts to resolve the spiralling conflict, rooted in the fallout from Rwanda's 1994 genocide and competition for mineral riches.

After talks in Qatar, the two countries’ presidents said they were committed to an unconditional truce between Congo’s army and a rebel group that Rwanda denies backing.

Rwanda-backed rebels battling Congo’s army have pushed into a strategic, mineral-rich town in the east, ignoring calls for a ceasefire this week by the Congolese and Rwandan presidents as the M23 rebel group expands its footprint in the conflict-torn African country.