The M23 rebel group, a group with alleged links to Rwanda, this week captured the mining town of Rubaya in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The town hosts several mines which produce tantalum, which is a key ingredient in modern electronics like smartphones.
The capture of the town will likely allow M23 to better fund itself through the export of these minerals.
The rebel forces are now advancing on the provincial capital of Goma, where UN peacekeepers including South African troops are based.
This week French president Emmanuel Macron demanded that Rwanda halt its support for M23. Rwanda denies that it is supporting M23.
Goma was captured by M23 in 2012, but the group was later forced out of the town by Congolese and UN forces.
[Photo: MONUSCO Photos – M23-Bosco-02/Wikimedia Commons]