By Sonia Rolley (Reuters) -Rwanda-backed M23 rebels staging an offensive in east Congo said on Saturday they would withdraw forces from the seized town of Walikale in support of peace efforts, having previously said they were leaving troops there as they pushed on to the capital.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) says it is still open to direct dialogue with M23 rebels, a sign of changing stance on a group it had previously vowed never to engage peacefully.

Rwanda-backed rebels battling Congo’s army have pushed into a strategic, mineral-rich town in the east, ignoring calls for a ceasefire this week by the Congolese and Rwandan presidents as the M23 rebel group expands its footprint in the conflict-torn African country.