The Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group claims to have captured hundreds of Burundian soldiers in its latest offensive in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The rebels, who seized the strategic town of Uvira near the Burundi border, demand Burundi’s forces withdraw from Congo.
The capture comes amid renewed fighting, despite a recent peace deal and warnings from the US.
M23’s appointed governor, Patrick Busu Bwa Ngwi, says the soldiers will be returned if Burundi requests it, as the rebels threaten to push further south into cobalt-rich Katanga province.
