Tshisekedi said conflict in the mineral-rich region over the last three decades had become a "battlefield for the predatory ambitions of some of our neighbours".

As the crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo reaches a critical juncture, pressure is mounting on the African Union Peace and Security Council to take decisive action when government leaders attend the 38th Summit of Heads of State and Government meeting on February 14.

The rebels, who captured the region's largest city of Goma, issued a 72-hour ultimatum for displaced people to return to their villages. View on euronews