The rebels, who captured Goma last month, are advancing south toward Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu. If they succeed, it would mark a major territorial gain and further weaken Kinshasa's control in the east.

The Rwanda-backed M23 fighters claim to have taken control of Kavumu airport serving Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The airport, primarily used for NGO and military flights and where DRC troops had been stationed,

(Reuters) -Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have taken control of the strategic Kavumu airport that serves Bukavu, the region's second biggest city, the rebel alliance

Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have taken control of the strategic Kavumu airport that serves Bukavu, the region's second biggest city, the rebel alliance and a civil security source said on Friday.

M23 fighters on Friday seized the airport serving Bukavu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, just as African leaders gathered for crisis talks on the escalating crisis. Violence in the restive region has sparked fears of a wider conflict, as a number of neighbouring countries already have a military presence on the ground.

Rwanda-backed rebels in eastern Congo claimed Friday to have seized a second airport in the region following a days-long advance, as the U.N. warned that the recent escalation of fighting with government forces has left 350,