A statement from the US state department called on M23 to cease hostilities immediately and withdraw from its current positions around Sake and Goma.

“The United States condemns Rwanda’s support for the M23 armed group,” the statement said.

It called on Rwanda to immediately withdraw all of its military personnel from the DR Congo and remove surface-to-air missile systems, saying these threatened the lives of civilians, United Nations and other regional peacekeepers, humanitarian workers, and commercial flights in eastern DR Congo. Rwanda denies supporting the rebels.

The US statement also called on the DR Congo to continue to support confidence-building measures, including by ceasing cooperation with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda armed group.

Clashes between the M23 rebels, armed forces, and self-defence groups that support them have escalated recently in DR Congo, forcing entire communities to flee.

South Africa said this week it would send 2,900 troops as part of its contribution to a force deployed by southern African regional bloc SADC to help Congo fight rebel groups.