The United States has sent a top-level diplomatic delegation to Angola as part of efforts to halt the civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The head of the state department's African bureau, Susan Rice, arrived in the Angolan capital, Luanda, with the American regional envoy to the Great Lakes region, Howard Wolpe.

A state department spokesman James Rubin said they would ask the Angolan government to withdraw troops backing the Congolese president,Laurent Kabila, against rebel forces.

He said the delegation would also visit Congo, Rwanda, Zimbabwe and South Africa, but would not meet the rebels.

The rebel leader, Wambia dia Wamba, is due to meet South Africa's president Nelson Mandela in Pretoria later today.

Mr Mandela's two days of talks with Namibian president Sam Nujoma ended yesterday with no agreement over a troop withdrawal.