The Eastern Region of Congo, rich in minerals such as Cobalt, Gold and Coltan, has been the hotbed of a civil conflict between Rwanda and the DemocraticRepublic of Congo. Groups such as the M23 rebels have waged an armed conflict against the Congolese Government, blaming them for persecuting the ethnic Tutsi minority in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. The M23 has captured territories in Northern Congo, and recently carried out a successful incursion into Goma, the largest city in Eastern Congo with a population of over 2 million. The Government of Rwanda, despite denying any association, has been blamed by international authorities for backing the M23.