The presidents of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have agreed to the deployment of an international force to fight the rebellion in eastern Congo and to patrol their border.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Congo's Joseph Kabila met Sunday on the sidelines of the two-day African Union summit in Ethiopia.

Congo and Rwanda have often swapped accusations about backing rival rebel groups, a charge that both Kigali and Kinshasa deny.

The officials gave no details on the size of the force or its mandate, date of deployment or where the troops would come from. African Union Commission chief Jean Ping said Sunday the regional bloc is willing to contribute to the anti-rebel force.