Dakar, Jan. 28 -- backed M23 rebels announced Monday they had seized Goma, the last government stronghold in eastern Congo's mineral-rich region. The capture marks a significant escalation in one of Africa's longest-running conflicts, raising fears of worsening humanitarian conditions and a potential spillover into a broader regional crisis.

The rebel advance has forced thousands to flee their homes, adding to the over one million displaced residents already in Goma. Local hospitals are overwhelmed, treating hundreds of injured civilians caught in the crossfire daily.

Who are the rebels?

M23, one of nearly 100 armed groups in eastern Congo, traces its roots to a failed integration of ethnic Tutsis into the Congolese army. Named after a...