DR Congo blames Rwanda-backed rebels for 1,500 deaths

Violent fighting erupted on Saturday between pro-Kinshasa forces and M23 rebels near Uvira, a key border city connecting the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to Burundi, according to local sources.

Kelvin Bwija, a civil society coordinator in Uvira, told AFP news agency that fighting was reported in the localities of Kashombe, Lubanda, Musingwe, Katongo and Kigongo, located about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Uvira.

At a recent press conference, the Congolese army presented 15 prisoners of war — seven Rwandan soldiers and eight civilians from Burundi, Uganda and Tanzania — accused of spying for the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, French broadcaster TV5 Monde reported

The Congolese army, the FARDC, has said the soldiers, arrested on different front lines, are evidence of a Rwandan army presence in the North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, alongside M23 rebels.

Read more: Deutsche Welle