(Reuters) -Rwandan-backed M23 rebels entered eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's second-largest city Bukavu on Friday, a rebel leader told Reuters, as residents reported seeing the militants in the streets of a northern district.

The Rwandan-backed rebels' entry into Bukavu follows their capture of Goma, defying international calls for a ceasefire.

Rwanda-backed rebels in eastern Congo on Friday entered the region's second-largest city of Bukavu, local and civil society leaders said, the latest ground gained since a major escalation of their yearslong fighting with government forces.