Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have seized control of a mining town in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's South Kivu province, eight sources said on Wednesday, in an apparent violation of a unilateral ceasefire they declared this week.

A rebel group that claimed to have captured the city of Goma in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo last week has called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, after fighting with the Congolese military has left hundreds of people dead.

Congo’s government has described the unilateral ceasefire declared by Rwanda-backed rebels in eastern Congo as “false communication,” while the United Nations on Tuesday noted reports of heavy fighting with Congolese forces in the region.

Rwandan-backed M23 rebels captured the mining town of Nyabibwe in eastern Congo’s South Kivu province, violating a ceasefire they declared earlier this week, according to NBC News. The rebels now advance toward Bukavu, raising fears of further conflict after seizing the city of Goma last week.

Rwanda-backed rebels gained ground in eastern Congo on Wednesday despite the unilateral ceasefire they declared earlier this week, taking control of a town 60 miles from the provincial capital of Bukavu,

Earlier this week, the M23 declared a ceasefire in Goma, DR Congo. 'The situation is pretty calm in Goma itself', France 24's Emmet Livingston reports, 'but it's important to understand that this is not really a ceasefire,

The Rwanda-backed rebels who seized eastern Congo's key city of Goma announced a unilateral ceasefire in the region Monday for humanitarian reasons, following calls for a safe corridor for aid and hundreds of thousands of displaced people.