Government troop movements near the Ugandan and Rwandan borders in eastern Congo risk igniting fresh fighting in a region shaken by weeks of clashes, rebel leader Laurent Nkunda said on Tuesday.
"I think President Joseph Kabila wants to fight," Nkunda said, adding that the government forces included Rwandan rebels intent on attacking Rwanda.
Meanwhile, Rwanda denied accusations on Tuesday by Kinshasa that it was massing troops on the border with the vast Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as sabre-rattling dissident DRC general Nkunda, allegedly backed by Kigali, threatened to go back to war.
The DRC army accused renegade Nkunda on Monday of "being a spokesperson for the Rwandan army, which on Monday evening massed troops on our common border to perpetrate yet another attack on our country."
But Rwanda rejected the claims, and said that it had not stepped up its military presence in the border region since April, after a cross-border attack by Rwandan Hutu rebels based in the eastern DRC.
"We had reinforced our security in April by redeploying troops near the border, but not more," Rwandan Defence Forces spokesperson Colonel Patrick Karegeya said.
The DRC army said late on Monday eight more suspects had been arrested over an apparent coup attempt on Friday, bringing the total to 20. Some officials have said the coup leader, a member of Kabila's personal guard, may have been killed but others say he is still at large.
The rebels in the east withdrew from Bukavu about a week ago on condition the government investigate Nkunda's claims of a "genocide" against Tutsis living in eastern Congo.
Army spokesperson Leon Kasongo, in Kinshasa, said he knew "nothing about troop movements" in the area but diplomats and UN officials confirmed a build-up over the past week.
"Troops of various tribes loyal to the government have reinforced in a semi-circle around Goma and we've heard more troops are gathering," said a Western diplomat in Kinshasa.
"There could be Mai-Mai (traditional warriors) and Interahamwe (civilian militia) going to support the government," he said, adding that some Congolese government and army officials were "in a panic" about a Rwandan invasion.
Nkunda threatened to resume his fight this week, saying the DRC government had not investigated his complaints.
Nkunda said on Tuesday government reinforcements had been made without the knowledge of General Obedi Rwibasira, the military commander of North Kivu province. - Reuters, Sapa-AFP