Diplomats based in the Democratic Republic of Congo have made a rare joint appeal for the army and rebels to stop fighting in the east.

A statement signed by representatives of the UN, African Union, EU and the US demanded that all forces withdraw to the positions they held last month.

UN peacekeepers have mobilised to block the advance of troops loyal DR Congo army 'works with rebels' ...
Congo groups 're-arming' in east ...
Wild frontier ...
Voice of peace ... to renegade General Laurent Nkunda.

He signed a peace deal in January but heavy fighting broke out on 28 August.

UN-backed Radio Okapi reports that the clashes occurred on the main road between Goma and Bukavu, capitals of North and South Kivu, respectively.

It says UN troops and military equipment were deployed to Minova.

The head of the UN peacekeeping force in DR Congo, known as Monuc, told Le Potentiel newspaper, that his forces had intervened.

"Monuc had to use force to assist the DR Congo Armed Forces re-establish their position.

"We used force to send out a strong signal to say that we shall not allow the CNDP [Gen Nkunda's forces] to occupy Nyanzale," he said.

The diplomats' communique said all sides, including the Congolese army should stop all movements, except for those undertaken alongside Monuc against the FDLR - a different rebel group based in the area.

On Wednesday, lobby group Global Witness accused some sections of the Congolese army of working with the FDLR to mine gold and tin in the region.

Some FDLR leaders are accused of fleeing to DR Congo after taking part in the genocide of Tutsis and moderate Hutus in Rwanda.

Their presence in DR Congo lies at the heart of years of recent unrest.

Gen Nkunda has previously refused to disarm, accusing the army of working with the FDLR against Tutsis who live in the region.

Last month, US and European Union diplomats warned that the situation in eastern DR Congo was becoming increasingly tense and that all sides were rearming.

Human rights groups said that tens of thousands of people were fleeing as the situation in the area deteriorated.

The UN has 17,000 peacekeepers in DR Congo, supposed to monitor a 2003 peace deal to end a conflict that drew in at least eight other African countries.

DR Congo is rich in minerals such as gold, tin and coltan, used in mobile phones, but decades of conflict and mismanagement have left the majority of its population living in poverty.

(BBC)

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