ONE of the two survivors of the Niemba massacre in the Congo in 1960 has settled his High Court action over a 2006 report prepared for the Minister for Defence into the greatest loss of life of Irish soldiers on UN peacekeeping duties.

Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea is examining a report on the accuracy of the Army's version of the massacre of eight Irish soldiers in the Congo in 1960.

Renegade army soldiers in eastern Congo recently massacred at least 30 civilians, including women and children, to avenge the death of three of their troops, the UN mission in Congo said.

Pope John Paul today decried a massacre in Congo that killed almost 1,000 people and appealed for efforts at reconciliation .