Rebels from the Rwanda-backed M23 killed North Kivu’s military governor, Maj Gen Peter Cirimwami, during fighting in eastern DR Congo, the army confirmed.

Gen Cirimwami, shot while visiting the frontline, died after being airlifted to Kinshasa.

The M23 has seized key towns, displaced over 400,000 people, and killed more than 200 civilians this year, as they advance toward Goma, a major city near the Rwandan border.

The unrest prompted President Félix Tshisekedi to cut short his Davos trip, ordering intensified military action, the BBC has reported.

UN reports accuse Rwanda of backing the M23, heightening fears of a broader regional conflict.

Written by B.C. Begley