Thousands of new UN peacekeeping troops should arrive in Congo within weeks, it was announced today.

Rebel forces said they were pulling back from a fleeing Congo army today to allow peace talks.

A retreat by Congo government troops in the face of continued rebel attacks was in danger of turning into a rout today.

REBEL leader Laurent Nkunda yesterday called for ceasefire talks with the Democratic Republic of Congo government after meeting a UN peace envoy even as new clashes broke out between his fighters and the army.

Tensions escalated in war-battered eastern Congo today after Angola announced it was sending troops to aid government forces.