Rwanda has accused the Democratic Republic of the Congo of "continued military escalation" in the east of the country.

Since the resurgence of a mostly Congolese Tutsi group, the M23, last November, relations between the Central African neighbors have deteriorated.

Rwanda, the DRC's smaller neighbor, has been accused of supporting the militia, which Kigali officials deny.

"Contrary to statements by the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (claiming) that his country is focused on a diplomatic resolution of the conflict in eastern DRC," the Rwandan government said in a statement.

Human Rights Watch accused the DRC army of supporting a notorious Rwandan Hutu rebel group in recent clashes with the M23 militia earlier this month.

According to the NGO, the Congolese military fought alongside a coalition of human rights violating militias.

Among those included was the FDLR, a Rwandan Hutu rebel group based in the DRC that the Rwandan government regards as a threat and has repeatedly accused Kinshasa of supporting.

While Rwanda has denied any involvement with the M23 militia, an August report obtained by AFP revealed that Kigali provided direct support to the M23.

While condemning the Democratic Republic of the Congo's "provocations," Rwanda reaffirmed its "firm commitment" to resolving the conflict in a "sustainable" and "peaceful" manner.