Congolese authorities hand over 15 prisoners to M23 rebels

BUKAVU, Democratic Republic of Congo, Aug 7 - Democratic Republic of Congo authorities released 15 prisoners and handed them over to rebels from the AFC/M23 movement on Friday, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which facilitated the first known transfer of prisoners under last year's deal to end fighting in the east.

• The handover marked one of the first concrete steps in implementing the agreement the government and the rebels signed last year in Qatar. It follows months of talks over the names of detainees to be freed.

• The ICRC said in a statement the 15 people left the government-held city of Beni in a convoy on Thursday evening and travelled through Uganda before being handed over to AFC/M23 in Rutshuru territory in eastern Congo.

• The ICRC said it did not know whether the prisoners belonged to the rebel group, but that they had agreed to be transferred. A spokesperson for AFC/M23 did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

• "We hope that this operation will help bring relief to families who have been separated from their loved ones for a long time," said Stephanie Eller, head of ICRC operations in the capital Kinshasa.

• Congo, the United Nations, and Western powers have repeatedly accused neighbouring Rwanda of supporting the insurgency with its own troops and weapons, which Rwanda denies. REUTERS