Government troops clashed with their allied militias as they attempted to retreat from a key city, as a major rebel group continues its advance through the country's east.

The Rwanda-backed M23 armed group has summarily executed children in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the United Nations said on Tuesday.

The UN has confirmed M23 rebels committed summary executions of children in Bukavu, as human rights abuses in eastern DRC sharply escalate.

The United Nations has made a shocking announcement that the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group has committed "summary executions" of children in Bukavu, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The UN Rights Office warned that the situation in Eastern DRC is deteriorating sharply,