Rwandan President Paul Kagame has told CNN he doesn’t know if his country’s troops are in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where fighting between the M23 armed group and Congolese soldiers has killed more than 700 people and injured thousands in recent days.

The M23 and Rwandan forces on Wednesday launched a new offensive in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, seizing a mining town in South Kivu province, as they resumed their advance

Rwanda President Paul Kagame has warned South Africa that although Rwanda prefers peace, it will, without doubt, respond to any “confrontation” from any force that threatens its sovereignty or defence forces.

The Congolese government, alongside U.N. officials and Western powers, including the United States, has accused neighbouring Rwanda of exacerbating the conflict by deploying thousands of troops and heavy weaponry in support of M23.