A senior Rwandan official has accused neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo of backing a Hutu rebel group linked to Rwanda's 1994 genocide.

Richard Sezibera says Rwanda has evidence that the DRC's army is supplying weapons to the rebels, who are known as the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, or FDLR.

The Hutu rebel group is based in a volatile part of eastern Congo. Some members of the group took part in the 1994 genocide, in which Hutu radicals killed an estimated 800,000 minority Tutsis and moderate Hutus.

Soldiers loyal to dissident general Laurent Nkunda stand guard in Kachanga, eastern Congo, 13 Oct 2007

In interviews this week, Sezibera said the rebels are also helping the DRC's army fight renegade Congolese General Laurent Nkunda. He said Nkunda's men recently captured several FDLR fighters.

Congo's government has not responded to the latest Rwandan allegations, but has rejected similar accusations in the past.

Rwanda has denied allegations from Congo that it backs General Nkunda. Nkunda says his forces are fighting to protect eastern Congo's Tutsi minority from the government and the FDLR. Both Nkunda and Rwandan President Paul Kagame are Tutsis.

Sezibera is Mr. Kagame's special envoy to the Great Lakes region.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP.