Rebel forces in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo accused the government on Monday of having "launched the war on its people" by refusing to negotiate with them.

As the humanitarian crisis continued it was reported that the fighting in the Nord-Kivu province had last week displaced up to 100 000 civilians, of whom 60 percent were children.

Unicef said on Monday it had received reports of seven to 10 cholera cases among displaced people.

Militarist position?

"In rejecting the offer of direct dialogue with the CNDP (National Congress for the Defence of the People), as recommended by the parliament, the government has just confirmed its militarist position," rebel CNDP spokesperson Bertrand Bisimwa told AFP by telephone from Kinshasa.

The CNDP rebel army led by renegade Tutsi general Laurent Nkunda last month defeated the government forces around the provincial capital of Goma, provoking a mass exodus of civilians.

Although the government has refused to hold direct talks with the CNDP it has said it will negotiate with all armed groups operating in the Kivu region — which includes Nkunda's force.

"There are no small and large armed groups," said government spokesperson Lambert Mende. "The act of creating a humanitarian disaster does not give special rights," he added.

One million displaced

"Up to 100 000 people, around 60 percent of which are children, have fled their homes due to heavy fighting between belligerent armed groups in North Kivu last week," said Unicef in a statement detailing the situation there.

"Around 250 000 people are now believed to have been displaced in the last two months bringing the total number of internally displaced to around 1 000 000, 20 percent of the entire North Kivu population," the statement added.

The United Nations pledged on Monday that their forces would "do the maximum" to protect civilians in Goma, as aid workers found camps in rebel-held areas had been razed and emptied.

Alain Le Roy, the organisation's top peace-keeping official, said UN troops were continuing to reinforce their presence in the city.

In a scathing assessment following a weekend visit to the region, France's Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said the UN force as currently constituted was powerless to stop the rebel advance.

No military intervention

But the European Union's most senior military figure warned on Monday that there was little appetite among member states for any intervention in Congo, as has been mooted.

And any such operation would be technically very difficult, British General David Leakey, director general of the EU military staff, told the defence sub-committee of the European parliament.

As arguments about the UN force's effectiveness raged as a UN aid convoy allowed into rebel-held territory found camps near the town of Rutshuru, in the northern part of Nord-Kivu, empty.

"We visited three camps in the Rutshuru area," said Sean Rafferty of British charity Merlin after arriving in the rebel-held town on Monday in a convoy escorted by UN troops.

"We would have expected a population of 11 000 people, but all the camps are empty. The camps were completely levelled. None of the materials were there. We are very concerned about the welfare of those people."

It was the first time aid agencies had been able to reach Rutshuru since the UN last week said that 50 000 people disappeared after "credible reports" that rebels had looted and burned camps around the town.

'Stop armed forces from entering Goma'

Rutshuru is about 80 kilometres north of Goma where Le Roy, speaking to reporters during a visit with UN mission chief Alan Doss, said the Monuc peacekeeping force's mandate was clear: "to stop armed forces from entering Goma."

It is one of several key towns taken since August by the CNDP in a major offensive before it declared a ceasefire last week.

Nkunda has said he will not negotiate as part of the ceasefire. He wants "the re-establishment of security" with stronger action against Hutu rebels from neighbouring Rwanda; the setting up of a "Republican national army"; and "greater transparency" in the awarding of mining contracts.

Authorities declared a curfew in Goma on Monday. The curfew, which will come into effect from 11pm (2100 GMT) to 5am (0300 GMT), follows a spate of murders, rapes and lootings last week blamed on out-of-control elements of the government army.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon said on Monday that he was appointing Nigeria's former president Olusegun Obasanjo as his special envoy tasked with helping defuse the crisis.

AFP