DR Congo: M23 rebel group claims control of Rubaya, a key mining town

A rebel group with alleged links to Rwanda this week seized Rubaya, a mining town in eastern Congo known for producing a key mineral used in smartphones, the group said Thursday in a statement.

In a statement shared with The Associated Press, a spokesperson for the M23 rebel group said the town was “liberated.”

The Congolese army declined to comment on the situation.

The decadeslong conflict in eastern Congo has produced one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with over 100 armed groups fighting for control of the mineral-rich area near the border with…