Rebels launch DR Congo massacre investigation

Rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo say they've begun an investigation into an alleged massacre by their forces in the eastern region of South Kibu.

The Congolese Rally for Democracy -- the RCD -- described reports from the Rome-based Catholic news agency, Misna of the killing of more than three-hundred civilians as false, and invited journalists and humanitarian agencies to conduct their own inquiries.

A United Nations official in the country Charles Petrie said that a number of civilians had been killed but he described the initial figure as grossly inflated.

The BBC Correspondent in Kigali says the war in the region is highly complex and it will be difficult to get a coherent account of events.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service