The United Nations Security Council is set to vote on Friday, calling for Rwanda's military to cease support for the M23 rebel group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and to withdraw all troops from Congolese territory "without preconditions."

The M23 has taken control of the two largest cities in eastern Congo, raising fears of a broader conflict. Rwanda denies claims from Congo and the U.N. that it backs the M23 with arms and troops, asserting it is defending itself against Hutu militias it accuses of collaborating with the Congolese military.

The U.N. resolution, drafted by France, "strongly condemns the ongoing offensive and advances of the M23 in North-Kivu and South Kivu with the support of Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF)" and demands that the M23 cease hostilities and withdraw immediately.

For the resolution to pass, it requires at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes from the United States, Russia, China, Britain, or France. Diplomatic sources believe it will be approved.

Congo accuses Rwanda of using the M23 as a proxy to exploit its mineral resources, such as gold and coltan, which are essential for smartphones and computers. The U.S. has imposed sanctions on a Rwandan minister and a senior rebel for their alleged involvement in the conflict.

The text also denounces support by Congolese troops "to specific armed groups, particularly the FDLR," and calls for the end of such support and the urgent implementation of commitments to neutralize the group.

Rwanda accuses Congo of fighting alongside the FDLR. Although the Congolese military has pledged to arrest soldiers cooperating with the FDLR, the government has continued to use FDLR fighters as proxies, according to U.N. experts in December.

The M23 claims to protect Tutsi interests, especially against ethnic Hutu militias like the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). The FDLR was established by Hutus who fled Rwanda after taking part in the 1994 genocide that killed nearly one million Tutsis and moderate Hutus.

The U.N. draft resolution urges both the DRC and Rwanda to return to diplomatic talks to find a lasting peaceful solution.

The decade-old insurgency's escalation has resulted in the deaths of several U.N. peacekeepers in Congo, part of the MONUSCO mission.

The draft U.N. resolution warns that "attacks against peacekeepers may constitute war crimes and that planning, directing, sponsoring, or participating in attacks against MONUSCO peacekeepers constitutes a basis for sanctions."