As fighting continues between government forces and rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Vatican has disclosed that thirty-seven people have been massacred at a Roman Catholic mission in the east of the country.

It quoted missionary sources as saying they included a priest, a trainee priest and threenuns and said that they were killed by rebels near the city of Bukavu -- apparently in reprisal for an attack on rebel forces.

The rebel advance on the capital, Kinshasa, appears to have been halted as troops from Angola and Zimbabwe join President Kabila's forces.

A third country --Uganda - has also admitted sending troops into the Congo but says they are there to deal with Ugandan rebels operating from across the border.

The Congolese government has alleged that Ugandan and Rwandan rebels are fighting with the rebels.