Rwanda, Congo accused of aiding rebels

KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- Rwanda has been supplying aid and child soldiers to Tutsi rebels fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a United Nations' draft report alleges.

The report, to be presented to the U.N. Security Council, accuses Rwanda and the Congolese army of directly aiding rebels in eastern Congo, the BBC reported Wednesday.

The report alleges Rwandan officers have brought weapons and soldiers, some of them children, to the border to give to the rebels, the BBC reported, noting Rwanda previously has denied such accusations.

Rebel leaders have said they are protecting their communities from attack, while human rights activists say the rebels want to control the region's valuable mineral resources, the BBC reported.

Government and rebel troops have been accused of raping, torturing and killing civilians in east Congo, where an estimated 250,000 people have been displaced since August, the BBC reported.