Residents say Rwanda-backed rebels appear to be heading toward a third major city in eastern Congo. International pressure rose Tuesday over the M23’s expansion in the mineral-rich region that’s critical for global technology.

M23 rebels backed by Rwanda took the city of Goma in a bloody battle. This weekend, the group entered the gold-trading center of Bukavu in eastern Congo after government soldiers fled.

Panic and looting are sweeping through eastern Congo’s second largest city as residents flee by the thousands to escape the looming advance of Rwanda-backed rebels