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

By ELOGE WILLY KANEZA
Associated Press

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. That’s according to army officers, prisons officials and other witnesses. They told The Associated Press that dissenting soldiers are being held in at least four prisons across the central African country. Clashes between M23, which the U.S. says is backed by Rwanda, and Congolese troops have intensified in recent weeks as those rebels threaten Goma, a major city near the Rwanda border. Burundi’s president has acknowledged the presence of Burundian troops in eastern Congo under a defense pact with Congolese authorities.