UN to back attack on Congo rebels

Rwandan troops entered DR Congo last week

The UN mission to DR Congo (Monuc) says it will provide support to the Congo-Rwanda operation against the Hutu FDLR rebels in the east of the country.

"Our priority is to protect civilians and Monuc cannot stay on the sidelines of this operation," said mission spokesman Lt Col Jean-Paul Dietrich.

Rwandan troops entered DR Congo last week and arrested Congolese Tutsi rebel leader Laurent Nkunda.

The joint operation is now turning its attention to attacking the Hutu rebels.

Their presence in eastern DR Congo has been a key factor in more than a decade of instability in the region.

The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) is a largely ethnic Hutu militia, some of whose leaders are accused of involvement in Rwanda's 1994 genocide.

Rwanda twice invaded DR Congo, saying it was pursuing the Hutu forces.

Gen Nkunda always said his own rebellion was necessary to protect his Congolese Tutsi community from the FDLR.

The UN mission said on Wednesday it would provide logistical and medical support to the operation against the FDLR.

Members of Gen Nkunda's insurgent militia, the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP), are joining the Congolese army following a split.

Monuc said the former CNDP rebels would be integrated into the Congolese army within a week, so they can help with the offensive against the FDLR.