Burundi detains dozens of soldiers who refused deployment in fight against M23 rebels in Congo

BY ELOGE WILLY KANEZA

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Dozens of Burundian troops have been detained for refusing to be deployed to eastern Congo in the fight against the M23 rebel group as it advances toward a major border city, according to army officers, prison officials and other witnesses.

The dissenting soldiers were being held in at least four prisons across the tiny central African country, they told The Associated Press.

Clashes between M23, which the U.S. says is backed by Rwanda, and Congolese troops have intensified in recent weeks with the rebels threatening the Congo city of Goma on the Rwanda border.

Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye, in a public broadcast on Dec. 29, acknowledged the presence of Burundian troops in eastern Congo under the terms of a defense pact with Congolese authorities.

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