Nairobi, Feb. 19 -- Ugandan authorities have denied claims that Kampala is backing the deadly M23 rebels in the war in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The claims have been fuelled on social media in the DRC, with politicians in particular adding fuel to the fire.

The rumour is echoed by civil society figures and some former ministers, who claim that the Ugandan army is playing a double game: on the one hand, it is supporting the DRC army in a war against the Allied Democratic Forces, while on the other it is playing for the rebels when it comes to the war against the M23.

The Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) issued a statement saying that "the UPDF has no reason to get involved in an internal conflict unless it ...