Congo says over 7,000 people have died this year as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have captured unprecedented amounts of territory in its mineral-rich eastern region.

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.

Rwanda-backed rebels captured a second major strategic city in the Democratic Republic of Congo, expanding their dominance over the country’s mineral-rich east amid the widening conflict.