M23 seizes key mining town in the DRC

A town at the heart of mining coltan, a key ingredient in making mobile phones, has been seized in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo by rebel forces, their spokesperson Willy Ngoma has said. The BBC reports that Rubaya fell into the hands of M23 fighters on Tuesday following heavy clashes with government troops. The DRC’s government has not yet commented, but a civil society activist confirmed that M23 had captured the strategic town.