afrol News, 15 December - The British government is in talks with Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo to discuss the United Nations allegations that the two governments are funding and arming rebels in eastern DRC.

However, Rwandan government has rejected the UN allegations of its involvement and contribution to the conflict in eastern DRC that has displaced over 250,000 people.

The newly released 127 page UN report highlights how Rwandan business sector has been channeling funds to renegade General Laurent Nkunda in his war against government forces in Kivu province.

But, the Kigali government denounced the report as pure fabrication and as malice, only trying to distract the world from the real problem between the rebels and Kinshasa government.

The UN report said people were forced to flee their homes during almost three months of fighting that began in late August between the General Nkunda's rebels and Congo's army in North Kivu province.

Mr Nkunda claims he's defending his ethnic Tutsi minority from the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a Hutu militia whose leaders are accused of participating in the killing of 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in Rwanda in 1994.

"These are obviously serious allegations", said a statement from the Kigali office of the UK Department for International Development DFID, further stating that DFID will engage both governments in talks.

In 2005, the UN Security Council imposed sanctions on specific individuals involved in the wars in DRC, but the investigators reported that regional governments have disregarded the sanctions completely.

Rwanda and Congo on 5 December announced they would reopen embassies in each other's capitals early next year, as well as restart the Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries, a regional cooperation forum which also includes Burundi. However, the peace process is still dragging with both sides trading accusation.

The report said that the FDLR and General Nkunda's forces rely on financial and political support from businessmen and political supporters from as far away as Europe and the United States.

"They have also raised millions of dollars through a system of local taxation and through the exploitation of eastern Congo's mineral resources, such as gold, charcoal and coltan, a metallic ore that contains ingredients used in consumer electronics," report said.

The widespread violence in eastern DRC started in August between government forces and General Nkunda's rebels.

By staff writer

© afrol News

Related pages and feature

Current afrol News Top Stories