Rwanda said meddling in Congo affairs

KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Whether the rebellion in eastern Congo explodes into another full-fledged war likely will depend on the involvement of neighboring Rwanda, observers say.

Evidence seems to be growing that Rwanda is meddling again in troubles of the Democratic Republic of Congo, The New York Times said in a dispatch from Kilgali Thursday.

Rwanda's stake in Congo, as usual, is a complex mix of strategic interest and business opportunity. There now is also the fear of a rebuilt nation coming back after near obliteration by ethnic hatred.

Reports mention many Rwandan fighters joining the rebels in Congo and that Rwandan officers served as the backbone of the rebel army.

Senior Rwandan officials do not deny that demobilized Rwandan soldiers are fighting in Congo. But they say they are acting on their own, without government backing.