(Reuters) -Rwandan-backed M23 rebels asserted their control over east Congo's largest city Goma on Thursday by calling on residents to resume normal life, even as the group clashed with Congolese troops as they tried to take more territory.

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have expanded their presence in eastern Congo, capturing Goma, the region's major city. The UN expressed concerns over recent executions by the rebels following their intensified rebellion.

Rwanda-backed rebels who have captured eastern Congo’s largest city say they plan to take their rebellion to the capital and seek to gain political power