Residents and officials say rebels have seized 2 key towns in eastern Congo

GOMA, Congo (AP) - Rebels with the M23 group have seized two key towns in eastern Congo as they advance in the volatile region, civil society and a local politician said Monday, as the security and humanitarian crisis deepened.

The rebels over the past week took Katale and Masisi towns, the latter located 80 kilometers (49 miles) west of the regional capital, Goma, and a strategic entry point into the country’s interior.

The M23 is one of over 100 armed groups that have been vying for territory in mineral-rich eastern Congo near the border with Rwanda, in a conflict that has created one of the world's largest humanitarian crises. More than 7 million people have been displaced.

M23 political spokesman Lawrence Kanyuka claimed responsibility for the capture of Masisi on social media platform X. He asserted that the group is committed to protecting civilians.

Alexis Bahunga, deputy for the Masisi territory, confirmed that Masisi was under the M23’s control.

"The humanitarian situation is so catastrophic," he told The Associated Press in a phone interview Monday. "People are scattered in all corners of the territory, in camps."

The spokesman for the Congolese army, Col. Djike Kaiko, told the AP he was still checking the information.

John Banyene, president of the civil society group Forces Vives du Nord-Kivu, denounced the government's "lethargy" in the face of the rebel advance.

"It is inconceivable that the government continues to act in this way at a time when we are losing space," he said.

Bernard Kanyama, a resident of Bweremana village next to Masisi, said he saw people fleeing to other villages.

"We saw even yesterday two people who died when the rebels fired a bomb in Bweremana and several wounded, so we are very worried," he told the AP.

Congo and the United Nations accuse Rwanda of backing the M23. Rwanda denies it, but in February it acknowledged that it has troops and missile systems in eastern Congo to safeguard its security, pointing to a buildup of Congolese forces near the border.

U.N. experts estimate there are up to 4,000 Rwandan forces in Congo.

In July, Congo signed a ceasefire with the M23, which came into effect in August, but fighting has resumed, with the United States saying it was "gravely concerned" by ceasefire violations by M23 rebels.