A Congolese court has sentenced three Chinese citizens to seven years in prison after they were arrested in possession of gold bars and $400,000 in cash and found guilty of illegal activities linked to the artisanal mining sector.

Suspects were found in possession of $400,000 in cash and substantial amount of gold, raising concerns about scale of their operations and potential involvement of organized networks

The M23 rebel group is advancing toward eastern Congo’s largest city of Goma. The United Nations says this has displaced over 178,000 people in the past two weeks.

"The M23's strategy is clearly to suffocate the town of Goma. To date, Goma is surrounded by the M23, and the fear is that there will be a shortage of foodstuff, as access routes to the city are blocked," said Lucha, a civil society organisation.

Three Chinese nationals have been sentenced to seven years in prison in the Democratic Republic of Congo's east after being arrested in possession of gold bars and large sums of cash.

Authorities in eastern Congo say M23 rebels have seized the town of Minova, a key supply route for the provincial capital, Goma.

The army acknowledged Tuesday a "breakthrough" by the M23 in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo where the armed group fighting government forces has seized a trading hub that supplies the city of Goma.

Three Chinese citizens have been sentenced to seven years in prison for the illegal exploitation of minerals in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The court sentenced the men late Tuesday for the illegal purchase and possession of minerals in Bukavu, capital of the gold-rich South Kivu province, according to daily Le Potentiel.

A court in the Democratic Republic of Congo has sentenced three Chinese nationals to seven years in prison for engaging in activities related to illegal mining.

The trial took place against a backdrop of increasing efforts to combat illegal mineral trafficking in the DRC.

The High Court of Bukavu began a high-profile trial on Monday involving three Chinese nationals accused of engaging in illegal mineral exploitation in Walungu, South Kivu.

KINSHASA - The army of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Tuesday called on citizens to remain calm in the face of recent advances by the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels in the eastern province of North Kivu.