The rebel group M23 declared a ceasefire in areas under its control in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, citing humanitarian reasons. The streets of Goma were busy as aid groups rushed Tuesday to help the thousands of people wounded and displaced during the past week’s fighting between M23 and pro-Congolese government forces.

After capturing Goma, the main city in North Kivu province, last week, the M23 and Rwandan troops launched a new offensive on Wednesday in a neighbouring province.

United Nations agencies called for an end to the violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as fighting between

DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame will attend a summit on Saturday as a Rwanda-backed armed group advances in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Rwandan-backed armed group M23 announced a humanitarian "ceasefire" from Tuesday in DR Congo's perennially explosive east, days before a planned crisis meeting between Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

The city of 2 million people is at the heart of a region home to trillions of dollars in mineral wealth and remains in rebel control.

The M23 rebel group has declared a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict in Eastern DRC. This is according to a statement issued by the group's spokesperson. READ: DR Congo, Rwanda leaders to join summit on crisis in war-torn east The rebel group has called for the SADC peacekeeping mission,