DR Congo claims defeat of M23 rebels
Congolese troops have steadily recaptured areas from M23 rebels
The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has claimed victory over M23 rebels in the east of the country.
A government spokesman said the last remaining rebels had either fled across the border or surrendered and their weapons had been destroyed overnight.
The M23 have not publicly commented on the claim. Kinshasa earlier rejected rebel calls for a truce.
At least 800,000 people have fled their homes since the conflict began in 2012.
Last week, the UN special envoy to DR Congo, Martin Kobler, said the group was all but finished as a military threat in DR Congo.
Key base seized
On Tuesday, government spokesman Lambert Mende told the BBC that Congolese special forces had defeated the rebels.
He said that UN tanks and helicopters had been supporting the Congolese army since Monday.
Mr Mende added that rebel military leader Sultani Makenga was among those who crossed the border either to Rwanda or Uganda.
Government forces had earlier captured Bunagana, the main base of the M23 on the DR Congo-Uganda border.
The army has recently had a string of victories, driving the rebels from all towns they once controlled during a 20-month rebellion.
Peace talks in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, broke down last month following two months of negotiations.
On Sunday, M23 leader Bertrand Bisimwa called for a ceasefire to "allow the continuation of the political process".
He urged rebel commanders to "ensure the strict observance of this order".
But Kinshasa rejected the call.
Separately, African leaders holding talks on the crisis told the M23 that they must publicly declare an end to their insurgency.
A statement released after the summit in South Africa said if they did so a peace agreement could be signed in five days' time.
Inside DR Congo
The Democratic Republic of Congo covers 2,344,858 square km of land in the centre of Africa, making it the 12th largest country in the world.
Eastern DR Congo is awash with a variety of different rebel groups – some have come from neighbouring countries, while others have formed as self-defence groups. Many are taking advantage of the lack of a strong state to seize control of the area's mineral riches.
DR Congo has abundant mineral wealth. It has more than 70% of the world's coltan, used to make vital components of mobile phones, 30% of the planet's diamond reserves and vast deposits of cobalt, copper and bauxite. This wealth however has attracted looters and fuelled the country's civil war.
Despite the country's size, transport infrastructure is very poor. Of 153,497km of roads, only 2,794km are paved. There are around 4,000 km of railways but much is narrow-gauge track and in poor condition. Waterways are vital to transport goods but journeys can take months to complete. Overcrowded boats frequently capsize, while DR Congo has more plane crashes than any other country.
With an estimated population of 71 million, DR Congo is the fourth most populous country in Africa. Some 35% of the population live in cities and the capital Kinshasa is by far the largest, with more than 8 million inhabitants. DR Congo has around 200 ethnic identities with the majority of people belonging to the Kongo, Luba and Mongo groups.
Given its size and resources DR Congo should be a prosperous country, but years of war, corruption and economic mismanagement have left it desperately poor. In 2011 it lags far behind in many key development indicators, with average life expectancy increasing by only 2 years since 1980, after a period when it actually fell during the mid 1990s.
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