The mineral-rich east of the Democratic Republic of Congo has been dogged by conflict for more than 30 years, since the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Numerous armed groups have competed with the central authorities for power and control of the potential fortune in this vast nation.
The instability has sucked in neighbouring countries to devastating effect – notoriously in the 1990s when two huge conflicts, dubbed Africa's World Wars, resulted in the deaths of millions of people.
Fighting escalated at the start of 2025, when a rebel group known as the M23 made major advances across the east. The leaders of Rwanda and DR Congo have signed a peace deal brokered by the US in an attempt to halt the conflict but will the fighting stop?
In a rapid advance, the M23 captured a number of key cities and towns.
