Fears growing for Congo refugees

Fears are growing for the safety of thousands of people in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Violence between government soldiers and rebel groups in recent months has led to more than 250,000 people running away from their homes.

Now the United Nations refugee agency says about 50,000 people have also had to flee refugee camps which are thought to have been burned and burgled.

International officials have gone to the Congo to try to help restore peace.

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British foreign secretary David Miliband

They include the man in charge of foreign matters for the British government, David Miliband, and French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner.

They're due to meet the Congolese president, and the president of neighbouring Rwanda to discuss the crisis.

At the moment, there is a ceasefire around the eastern city of Goma so thousands of people have been trying to get there to escape the fighting.

But aid workers say they are struggling to get enough emergency supplies through to the city.

Tension

Soldiers entering a burned-out building

There's been lots of tension between different tribal groups ever since a big war in the central African country six years ago, when millions of people died.

It's thought one of the reasons behind the latest fighting is that some people feel the Congolese government isn't doing enough to protect their land.

The rebel leader of the Tutsi tribe, General Nkunda, has said he is fighting to protect his community from attack by Hutu fighters, who come from the neighbouring country, Rwanda.