Volcano tops Africa mission agenda

Thousands of families are returning to Goma

A joint British and French ministerial mission to central Africa has taken on a new urgency following the volcanic eruption in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo last week.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine had planned their trip well in advance of the natural disaster in Goma.

It was aimed at consolidating the peace process in Congo.

However, Britain has already announced it is providing $3m in emergency aid, and Mr Straw said the needs of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo would now be top of the agenda.

Straw will hold talks on what aid is needed

The foreign secretary says they will also look at what aid is needed to cope with the eruption, which has destroyed the homes of hundreds of thousands of people.

The minsiters are to meet Congolese President Joseph Kabila in Kinshasa on Monday, before travelling on to Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda on the three-day joint trip.

They have no plans to visit the volcano area.

Conflict resolution

The joint Anglo-French visit to central Africa follows historic differences between the two countries over the continent, both in the scramble for African territory and more recently in Rwanda.

Hubert Vedrine and I will be urging the leaders of the region to seize this opportunity for peace

Jack Straw

Mr Straw and Mr Vedrine will hope to lay those aside to tackle the current conflict.

Speaking ahead of his trip, Mr Straw said: that "Central Africa is the scene of the biggest war in the world. This conflict has been ignored for too long.

"The region stands at a key moment. The fighting may have stopped but peace has not yet broken out.

"Hubert Vedrine and I will be urging the leaders of the region to seize this opportunity for peace."

The trip follows Tony Blair's declared determination at last year's Labour Party conference to tackle the state of Africa.

Background

The government in Kinshasa now controls just over a third of the country while rebel groups, one backed by Rwanda, others by Uganda, occupy the rest.

A ceasefire agreement means there's little or no fighting now along the front line that divides the two main sides and since last year United Nations observers have been deployed.

But behind the front line and particularly along the borders with Uganda and Rwanda, including near Goma, fighting goes on.

An estimated two million people have been displaced by this conflict which pits countless local militias and Rwandans responsible for the genocide, against the rebel groups and their backers.

The heaviest recent fighting has been between rival Ugandan-backed rebel groups.

Many Congolese believe talk of a peace process is premature, but some progress has been made.

Some of the foreign troops that back the different sides have been withdrawn and a national dialogue between the government and rebels established.