Libya denies Congo aggression

Libya has denied allegations by the Democratic Republic of Congo that it has sent tanks and troops into Congolese territory.

The Libyan news agency, Jana, quoted a government official as saying that Libya had no forces or equipment of any kind in northern Congo, on the border with the Central African Republic.

This is an area held by a Ugandan-backed rebel group, the MLC.

On Friday, Congo had asked the United Nations Security Council to call for the immediate withdrawal of Libyan troops.

The Libyan army and MLC rebels have intervened in the Central African Republic to support the country's President Ange Felix Patasse, who was faced with a military uprising in October.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service