M23 fighters entered the key eastern Democratic Republic of Congo city of Uvira late on Tuesday, sources said, with thousands fleeing across the border into Burundi to escape the Rwanda-backed militia's latest advance.

According to military and security sources, the militia's fighters entered the strategic border town at the gates of Burundi from the north, after the United States and European powers urged the M23 to "immediately halt" its offensive and for Rwanda to pull its troops out of the eastern DRC.

As the M23 appeared set to seize the last major settlement in South Kivu province it had yet to capture, scores of Congolese soldiers mingled among the civilians fleeing to Burundi, which has sent troops to help the DRC fight Rwanda, according to military sources.

The renewed violence

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