Congolese troops have steadily recaptured areas from M23 rebels

Fresh fighting has erupted in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo as government forces try to clear the last areas held by M23 rebels.

The BBC’s Ignatius Bahizi in the border town of Bunagana says missiles are being fired and thousands of refugees have fled into Uganda.

The M23 on Sunday called a ceasefire to allow peace talks with the government to continue.

However, our reporter says there is no sign a ceasefire has taken effect.

He says the mood on the border is very tense.

Other BBC correspondents in the area say the rebels seem to be fighting back more fiercely than on previous days and reports suggest they are advancing.

The latest violence follows a string of victories by government troops who have driven rebels from all towns they once controlled during a 20-month rebellion.

Peace talks in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, broke down last month following two months of negotiations.

On Sunday, M23 leader Bertrand Bisimwa called for a ceasefire to “allow the continuation of the political process”.

He urged rebel commanders to “ensure the strict observance of this order”.

However, on Monday the M23 said in a statement that the government had launched a new assault using “heavy arms”.

Correspondents with AFP news agency said fighting raged for about eight hours on Sunday and had appeared to intensify after the ceasefire order.

As the fighting started up, thousands headed for the Ugandan border

General Lucien Bahuma told AFP by telephone on Sunday: “We are pounding Mbuzi [one of three mountains where the rebels are hiding]. After the artillery we will send in the troops.”

The M23 movement is named after a 23 March 2009 peace deal that ended four years of rebellion in eastern DR Congo.

They took up arms once more in April 2012, accusing the government of not respecting the agreement.

The rebels briefly occupied the eastern Congolese city of Goma in November 2012 before pulling out under international pressure.

Government forces have been backed by a UN intervention brigade deployed earlier this year to confront the M23 and other armed groups.

Eastern DR Congo has been wracked by conflict since 1994, when Hutu militias fled across the border from Rwanda after carrying out a genocide against Tutsis and moderate Hutus.

The M23 are mainly ethnic Tutsis, like most of Rwanda’s current leaders.

Rwanda and Uganda deny Congolese and UN claims that they have supported the M23 rebels