RWANDA-BACKED rebel group M23 said today that it had taken control of the city of Uvira in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, following a rapid offensive since the start of the month.

The announcement, made on social media by M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka, encouraged citizens to return to their homes. 

Uvira is an important port city on the northern tip of Lake Tanganyika and is directly across from Burundi’s largest city, Bujumbura.

DR Congolese authorities didn’t immediately comment on whether M23 had taken the city.

M23’s latest offensive comes despite a US-mediated peace agreement signed last week by the DR Congolese and Rwandan presidents in Washington.

The accord didn’t include the rebels, which are negotiating separately with DR Congo and agreed earlier this year to a ceasefire that both sides accuse the other of violating, but it obliges Rwanda to halt support for armed groups and work to end hostilities.

More than 100 armed groups are vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern DR Congo near the border with Rwanda, most prominently the M23 group.

The conflict has created one of the world’s most significant humanitarian crises, with more than seven million people displaced, officials say.

Local UN partners report that more than 200,000 people have been displaced across the province since December 2, with more than 70 killed.

Some civilians have sought refuge into Burundi, and there have been reports of shells falling in the town of Rugombo, on the Burundian side of the border, raising concerns about the conflict spilling over the border.