Congo camps moved from front line

More than 250,000 people have been displaced in the fighting

The UN has started to relocate people from camps near the front line in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

In recent weeks, camps in Kibati near Goma have become home to about 65,000 people who have fled fighting between rebels and pro-government forces.

Despite a ceasefire, there have been more clashes this week forcing 13,000 people to cross over to Uganda.

Rebels loyal to Gen Laurent Nkunda have taken the border town of Ishasha, about 120km (75 miles) from Goma.

Neighbouring villages are reported to be deserted.

"Everybody fled. They went to Nyamilima, to Ishasha," one villager near Ishasha told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme.

"Some of them have already crossed the border, others are in the bush and we don't know where they are."

See detailed map of the area

The UN's special envoy to the Great Lakes region, Olusegun Obasanjo, who negotiated last week's ceasefire, is holding talks in the capital, Kinshasa, with President Joseph Kabila.

Gen Nkunda says the ceasefire does not apply to operations against foreign militia.

FORCES AROUND GOMA CNDP: Gen Nkunda's Tutsi rebels - 6,000 fighters FDLR: Rwandan Hutus - 6-7,000 Mai Mai: pro-government militia - 3,500 Monuc: UN peacekeepers - 6,000 in North Kivu, including about 1,000 in Goma (17,000 nationwide) DRC army - 90,000 (nationwide) Source: UN, military experts DR Congo: Key facts

His Tutsi-dominated forces say they are attacking Rwanda Hutu fighters, some of whom are accused of taking part in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, in which some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered.

Some of those who crossed the border said their relatives had been killed by the rebels of General Nkunda.

But the renegade general told the BBC such accusations were "lies".

The BBC's Thomas Fessy in the region says it is not clear whether the rebels hold the whole 50km (35 mile) road from rebel-held Rutshuru to Ishasha.

He says the FDLR Hutu rebels and some pro-government Mai Mai fighters are believed to be still operating in the area, in the bush.

Diplomatic sources say Mr Obasanjo is to meet all the armed groups who have been taking part in the recent fighting over the weekend.

Gen Nkunda says he is expecting Mr Obasanjo to bring a response from the Congolese government to his request for direct talks.

Voluntary

Our reporter says the camps in Kibati are very close to the front line, just a few hundreds metres away from Congolese soldiers, who are in turn only 700m away from the first rebel position.

The first people to be transferred will be children, women and disabled people, who are being taken by truck to various existing sites west of Goma.

The UN refugee agency says the rest will go by foot on a voluntarily basis as soon as the construction of a new site is finished.

More than 250,000 people have fled their homes because of the recent fighting which resumed in August.

The UN has accused all sides of mass killings and rape.

Our reporter says diplomatic talks in the region are believed to be making some progress.

This week, both Rwanda and DR Congo said were to re-open their embassies in Kigali and Kinshasa.

The Congolese government and some diplomats have accused Rwanda of backing Gen Nkunda.

Rwanda strongly denies this but has twice invaded DR Congo in recent years, saying it is trying to tackle the same Hutu rebels Gen Nkunda says his forces are fighting.

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