President Mandela is due to hold a second round of talks with Rwanda later today about the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The meeting follows a warning on Thursday from South African deputy foreign minister, Aziz Pahad, that the conflict in Congo could ignite the whole continent.

Mr Pahad said there could be no military solution to the crisis that started three months ago and that the danger of a massive African war was becoming a reality.

The American assistant secretary of state for African affairs, Susan Rice, has been continuing her consultations with countries involved in the conflict.