A conflict that has raged for decades reached a flashpoint this week when rebels backed by Rwanda marched on a key Congolese city in a bid to occupy territory and exploit minerals.

Many blame the United States, France and other allies for allowing neighboring Rwanda to fuel a conflict in the country’s east.

The M23 group is one of about 100 armed factions vying for a foothold in eastern Congo in one of Africa’s longest wars, which has displaced 4.5 million people.

Residents in eastern Congo’s largest city, Goma, woke up on Monday morning uncertain about who is in control of the city, which Rwanda-backed rebels claimed to have captured

The Rwandan government attributed the recent heavy fighting near Goma to the repeated violations of ceasefire agreements by the Congolese armed forces in alliance with the UN-sanctioned FDLR militia,

More than 4,400 inmates escaped from Munzenze Central Prison in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province in eastern DR Congo, on Monday, January 27, after M23 rebel group captured the city.

The M23 militia, funded and directed by Rwanda, said it had seized the city of Goma, terrifying its people, many of whom sought shelter there after fleeing the rebel advance.

The Rwandan government has expressed concerns about statements issued by various parties on the security crisis in eastern DR Congo, where the M23 rebels have intensified their offensive around Goma city.

The government has reaffirmed that its borders with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) remain open, despite ongoing heavy fighting between the Congolese army and the M23 rebel group near the Rwandan border.

Many Congolese see the rebel advance as an invasion of their country by a foreign power in an attempt to seize land and Congo’s valuable rare minerals.

France and Britain have called on Rwanda to address accusations of supporting the M23 rebels in recent conflicts near Goma, in eastern Congo. At a U.N. Security Council meeting, both countries urged Rwanda to withdraw its troops from Congo territory amid escalating tensions.