Dar es Salaam, Feb. 6 -- DR CONGO: The M23 and Rwandan forces on Wednesday launched a new offensive in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, seizing a mining town in South Kivu province, as they resumed their advance towards the regional capital Bukavu.

Just days after capturing the strategic city of Goma in neighbouring North Kivu, the M23 armed group had declared a unilateral humanitarian “ceasefire” to take effect from Tuesday.

The anti-government group announced at the same time it also had “no intention of taking control of Bukavu or other localities”.

But intense clashes broke out at dawn on Wednesday between the M23 with its Rwandan allies and Congolese armed forces, security and humanitarian sources told...