President of the Democratic Republic of Congo said on Thursday that his troopers are fighting an insurgence by the Rwandan-backed militant group M23 which recently captured swaths of land in the east.

Rebels led by the M23 group claim to have taken control of Goma, a key city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The conflict comes amid rising global tensions after Donald Trump’s election, especially between Washington and Beijing, over control of strategic minerals like those present in the Congo.

M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo were reported to have taken the key eastern city of Goma in fierce fighting with government forces that sent streams of refugees fleeing area communities.

Residents of eastern Congo's largest city of Goma greeted the arrival of Rwanda-backed rebels with trepidation on Monday, some staying indoors and others coming out to cheer in what one called a "show" of happiness.

Fighting between M23 and Democratic Republic of the Congo forces has displaced 400,000 since the start of this year, according to the United Nations

There are growing international calls for peace talks to end the escalation of violence in the east of the democratic republic of congo. The fate of the economic and trading hub Goma is still unclear.

The M23 armed rebel group said it has captured the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s eastern city of Goma on Monday.