Rwanda-backed M23 rebels pressed deeper into Congolese territory a day after Congo and Rwanda's presidents called for an immediate ceasefire, entering the outskirts of the town of Walikale late on Wednesday,

Rwanda has denied supporting M23. It says its military has been acting in self defence against Congo’s army and a militia founded by some of the perpetrators of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

The Rwanda-backed rebels who captured key areas of Congo's mineral-rich east said Monday they were withdrawing from peace talks this week with the Congolese government, saying that international sanctions on the group's members have undermined such dialogue.

The resurgence of Rwanda-backed insurgents in eastern Congo has reignited a decades-old conflict over ethnic rivalries, mineral wealth, and political representation.

The presidents of Congo and neighboring Rwanda have met in Qatar for their first direct talks since Rwanda-backed M23 rebels seized two major cities in mineral-rich eastern Congo earlier this year

In a surprise announcement from Qatar Tuesday the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda jointly called for a cease-fire in an effort to end warfare between them after 30 years of fighting.