Congolese Army Preparing to Respond to Rebel Takeovers in the East

Government forces offered little resistance to rebels as they're rarely paid or equipped

The Democratic Republic of Congo's army said it's preparing a response to the capture of Goma by rebel forces as a research group warned the fall of the city threatens the survival of President Joseph Kabila's government.

M23 rebels today pushed south from Goma, the capital and economic center of the resource-rich North Kivu province, taking the town of Sake and continuing toward South Kivu province, United Nations-backed broadcaster Radio Okapi said. The fighters now control the entire border between North Kivu and Rwanda, making it easier to receive assistance from their backers, Ben Payton, Africa analyst at Bath, U.K.-based risk analysis group Maplecroft, said in an e-mailed report.