The leader of the rebels who captured two key cities in eastern Congo says international sanctions and the planned minerals deal that the country has offered the U.S. will not stop the fighting in the conflict-hit east.

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels pressed deeper into Congolese territory a day after Congo and Rwanda's presidents called for an immediate ceasefire, entering the outskirts of the town of Walikale late on Wednesday,

Rwanda-backed rebels battling Congo’s army have pushed into a strategic, mineral-rich town in the east, ignoring calls for a ceasefire this week by the Congolese and Rwandan presidents as the M23 rebel group expands its footprint in the conflict-torn African country.