Around 3,000 people have been killed in clashes between M23 rebels and government forces, and thousands more have been displaced after the worst escalation of fighting in more than a decade.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has been mired in conflict for years. As fresh fighting surges in the east, the roots of today’s violence can be traced back to old problems.

Rebels occupying the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo city of Goma have declared a cease-fire but the government dismissed the pause in the fighting as a ruse aimed to head off growing international concern.