The spokesman of the United Nations Mission in DR Congo (MONUC), Kemal Saiki has dismissed claims in Congolese media of the presence of Rwandan troops in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Speaking to The New Times on Friday from MONUC headquarters in Kinshasa, Saiki said the claims were unfounded and did not reflect the truth on the ground.

"As far as we are concerned, there is no indication of the presence of foreign troops in the eastern DRC," said the UN official.

"According to information from our military in the area, there is no indication of any evidence that constituted foreign armed units operating in the area."

Saiki blasted the allegations which he said were based on a three-year-old news report published in the Financial Times.

"They should have cross-checked their information before publishing it," he said.

The article, published by the Financial Times on December 16, 2004, had quoted the then head of MONUC, William Lacy Swing, alleging the possible presence of Rwanda troops. The information had not been officially confirmed at the time.

Swing was replaced as head of MONUC by Allan Doss in January this year.

Rwanda’s Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region, Ambassador Richard Sezibera also dismissed the allegations published in the Congolese media.

"Those are just fabrications and should be dismissed as the nonsense they are," Sezibera said in a telephone interview.

"We have a Joint Verification Commission which addresses those kinds of issues. It has never been raised. The Congolese have not complained, in fact they are happy with the whole process," explained the Rwandan envoy.

In November 2007, both the DRC and Rwanda signed an agreement which will see the disarmament of Rwandan Interahamwe militia who have been operating in the eastern DRC for more than ten years

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