France, Jan. 30 -- DR Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi said on Thursday that his troops were mounting a military response as Rwanda-backed M23 fighters advanced in the east of the country.

In his first remarks since vast swathes of the eastern DRC fell to the militants, Tshisekedi said: " A vigorous and coordinated response against these terrorists and their sponsors is underway."

He also criticised the international community for failing to act. "Your silence and inaction ... are an affront to the DRC," he said in a televised address on Wednesday night.

Tshisekedi warned that the advance of the fighters could lead to an escalation across the broader Great Lakes region. He denounced the presence of thousands of Rwandan soldiers on Co...