Rwanda-backed rebels claimed on Monday they captured eastern Congo’s strategic city of Goma, the hub of a region containing trillions of dollars in mineral wealth that remains largely untapped.

Australia said on Wednesday it would enlist indigenous Aboriginal rangers to patrol its vast and remote northern coastline amid an influx of illegal fishing boats that have also been used by people smugglers.

The M23 militia, funded and directed by Rwanda, said it had seized the city of Goma, terrifying its people, many of whom sought shelter there after fleeing the rebel advance.