BUNAGANA, DR Congo: Rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s powder-keg east surrendered Tuesday after a crushing UN-backed offensive ended their 18-month insurgency in a region that has seen some of Africa’s deadliest conflicts.

Kinshasa, emboldened by its biggest military victory in half a century, said its forces would keep up the momentum to go after Rwandan Hutu militia also active in the region.

A statement by the M23 that it would “end its rebellion” and instead pursue its goals “through purely political means” came after 200 or so holdout rebels were rousted from their hilltop positions overnight.

“It’s a total victory for the DRC,” said government spokesman Lambert Mende, adding that the routed rebels had fled to neighboring Rwanda. A local official said the M23’s top commander Sultani Makenga was among them.

The army launched a major offensive on October 25, steadily claiming the main rebel-held towns until diehard M23 fighters were forced to hole up on three hills about 80 km (50 miles) north of the regional capital Goma and near the Rwandan border.