Rwanda-backed rebels battling Congo’s army have pushed into a strategic, mineral-rich town in the east, ignoring calls for a ceasefire this week by the Congolese and Rwandan presidents as the M23 rebel group expands its footprint in the conflict-torn African country.

M23 rebels in Congo, backed by Rwanda, capture Walikale, dismissing calls for a ceasefire. This escalates a long-standing regional conflict, with implications for mineral-rich eastern Congo. Despite international pressure for peaceful talks with Kinshasa,

Foreign Minister Téte António said Thursday in Luanda that Angolan Head of State João Lourenço was surprised by Qatar's initiative to bring together Presidents Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Doha.

In a surprise announcement from Qatar Tuesday the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda jointly called for a cease-fire in an effort to end warfare between them after 30 years of fighting.