SECURITY in Congo’s mineral-rich east has deteriorated since a rebel group made “significant advances,” the UN’s special envoy to the country said on Wednesday.

Bintou Keita told the UN security council this has created “an even more disastrous humanitarian situation, with internal displacement reaching unparalleled numbers.”

The international community has warned neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, which allegedly backs the M23 rebel group, that they should step back from the looming conflict.