This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/africa/7694766.stm

The article has changed 18 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 13 Version 14
Battles rage near key Congo town Battles rage near key Congo town
(about 2 hours later)
Government troops and UN forces have been involved fierce battles with Tutsi rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, around Kibumba village. Government troops and UN forces have been involved in fierce battles against Tutsi rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
General Laurent Nkunda's fighters have also opened up a new front 50km further north in Rubare, a village in the Virunga National Park, near Uganda. Reports from the region suggest the strategic village of Kibumba, north of the regional capital Goma, is the latest to have fallen to the rebels.
Rebels say their next target is the nearby regional capital Goma, where an estimated 20,000 people are fleeing. Renegade General Laurent Nkunda's fighters say their next target is Goma, where thousands of civilians have fled.
They slept overnight in the rain - there was no aid because of insecurity. The head of the UN mission in Congo says he desperately needs more troops.
"We are having a lot of problems because we don't have food and we don't have water," Nick Bampengo, one of those fleeing, said. UN forces have been using attack helicopters and tanks to try to stop the rebel advance, but they say the rebels work in small groups, making them difficult to locate and repulse.
We simply cannot send teams out into the countryside... it's too dangerous; it's anarchy UNHCR's Ron Redmond class="" href="/1/hi/world/africa/7696139.stm">Eastern DR Congo's hell The pro-government Congolese Le Potentiel newspaper based in the capital, Kinshasa, is alleging that two battalions from the Rwandan army are fighting with Gen Nkunda's men. Alan Doss, the head of the UN mission in DR Congo (Monuc), told the BBC his forces were stretched to the limit and needed urgent reinforcements.
Rwanda has been accused of backing Gen Nkunda, who left the army and launched his own low-level rebellion after DR Congo's civil war ended. name="text"> He says he is fighting to protect the minority Tutsi community from the Hutu militia who carried out the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. class="bodl" href="#infographic">Enlarged map of the fighting name="top"> He said his troops would do their utmost to stop major towns in the region from falling to the Tutsi rebels under Gen Nkunda.
The BBC's Thomas Fessy in the region says one peacekeeper has been injured in the heavy battles around Kibumba - which housed a displacement camp for those already displaced by fighting in the region. href="/1/hi/world/africa/3786883.stm">Profile: Laurent Nkunda We simply cannot send teams out into the countryside... it's too dangerous; it's anarchy UNHCR's Ron Redmond href="/1/hi/world/africa/7696139.stm">Eastern DR Congo's hell class="" href="/1/hi/in_pictures/7693828.stm">In pictures: Thousands flee fighting
He says it is unclear whether the village has fallen to the rebels. "We are going to remain there, and we are going to act against any effort to take over a city or major population centre by force," he said from Kinshasa, the Congolese capital.
On Tuesday morning, trucks of Congolese soldiers escorted by UN light-tanks were racing back towards Goma from Kibumba - although our reporter was unable to ascertain if they were withdrawing or changing positions. Monuc has 17,000 troops in DR Congo - the largest peacekeeping force in the world - but has come under criticism from residents in the east of the country for being unable to protect them.
UN forces used attack helicopters and tanks to try to stop the rebel advance, but they say the rebels work in small groups, making them difficult to locate and repulse. The rebels have opened up several fronts in order to split up the government and UN forces.
A spokesman for Gen Nkunda says Goma, 30km south of Kibumba, is their next target. Refugee crisis
Our reporter says it is extremely tense in the city. The towns of Rutshuru and Rubare have also been threatened by the rebel forces.
On Monday the UN headquarters there was stoned and one civilian was killed in demonstrations as people expressed their anger at what they see as the 17,000-strong UN force's failure to protect them. name="text">
UN vehicles were again stoned on Tuesday morning and riot police have been deployed across the city to prevent further demonstrations. Rutshuru houses tens of thousands of displaced people and dozens of aid workers are usually based there.
Meanwhile, the UN says fighting also broke out on Tuesday morning near the Ugandan border town of Rutshuru. class="bodl" href="#infographic">Enlarged map of the fighting name="top">
At around 0600 local time (0300GMT), Gen Nkunda's fighters attacked Rubare, not far from where UN armoured personnel carriers were fired upon on Sunday. Some of them told Associated Press news agency that they could hear artillery fire near the town but that crowds of anxious civilians and Congolese soldiers were blocking UN efforts to evacuate them.
A UN worker said thousands of people were fleeing Rutshuru heading toward the Ugandan border to the north.
AdvertisementAdvertisement
Thousands flee Congo fightingThousands flee Congo fighting
Rutshuru houses tens of thousands of displaced people, some of whom are reported to be fleeing towards Uganda. An estimated 20,000 people have already fled towards Goma, many of them having left a refugee camp in Kibumba as the fighting approached on Monday.
Reuters news agency reports that the UN is preparing to evacuate foreign aid workers from the town as the rebels advance.
"Normally there are around 50 staff in Rutshuru and surrounding areas," a UN spokesman told the agency.
In pictures: Thousands flee fighting Over the weekend the rebels captured a major army camp at Rumangabo and the headquarters of Virunga National Park.
A peace deal was signed in Goma between the government and various rebel groups at the end of January.
Although he signed the deal, Gen Nkunda - whose main strongholds are in Kichanga in the Masisi Mountains and Bunagana town bordering Uganda - has always refused to disarm while Rwandan Hutu rebels still operate in the area.
About 200,000 people fled their homes after fighting resumed in the area in late August.About 200,000 people fled their homes after fighting resumed in the area in late August.
The United Nations says many refugees are malnourished and some are dying of hunger.The United Nations says many refugees are malnourished and some are dying of hunger.
Ron Redmond of the UN refugee agency says it almost impossible to reach those in need of help.Ron Redmond of the UN refugee agency says it almost impossible to reach those in need of help.
"We simply cannot send teams out into the countryside. There's too much fighting going on; it's too dangerous; it's anarchy," he said."We simply cannot send teams out into the countryside. There's too much fighting going on; it's too dangerous; it's anarchy," he said.
"There are already some 800,000 to a million people internally displaced in this region, so it's really a huge population in need of help.""There are already some 800,000 to a million people internally displaced in this region, so it's really a huge population in need of help."
Profile: Laurent Nkunda
Rwanda has been accused of backing Gen Nkunda, who left the army and launched his own low-level rebellion after DR Congo's civil war ended.
He says he is fighting to protect the minority Tutsi community from the Hutu militia which carried out the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
A peace deal was signed in Goma between the government and various rebel groups at the end of January.
Although he signed the deal, Gen Nkunda - whose main strongholds are in Kichanga in the Masisi Mountains and Bunagana town bordering Uganda - has always refused to disarm while Rwandan Hutu rebels still operate in the area.
Many Congolese say that Rwanda is helping Gen Nkunda's forces, something that both Rwanda and the UN have denied.
Return to topReturn to top
Are you in Democratic Republic of Congo? Are you affected by the issues in this story? Send us your comments and experiences using the form below.Are you in Democratic Republic of Congo? Are you affected by the issues in this story? Send us your comments and experiences using the form below.
Name
 Name