KINSHASA, March 27 (Xinhua) -- The March 23 Movement (M23) rebels might "expand into" two other provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) after setting up parallel administrations in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, a UN envoy said on Thursday.

The M23 rebels "threaten to expand into Tshopo and Maniema provinces," said Bintou Keita, special representative of the United Nations secretary-general in the DRC, at the UN Security Council.

According to Keita, the M23 continued its expansion into North Kivu's Walikale, the farthest west it reached during its lightning advance in January. Last Wednesday, the rebels seized the town of Walikale, putting them within 400 km of Kisangani, the country's fourth-largest city and the provincial capital of Tshopo.

Despite extensive regional and international efforts, the immediate and unconditional cease-fire has yet to materialize, warned Keita, noting that lasting peace in the eastern DRC could only be achieved through a political solution.

The mineral-rich eastern DRC remains a focal point of conflict, with various armed groups vying to control resources such as coltan, tin, tantalum, and gold.

According to the UN, about 1 million people, including approximately 400,000 children, have been newly displaced since late January, with numbers expected to rise as hostilities persist in North Kivu and South Kivu. Enditem

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