Congo Army Rape And Kill Innocent Villagers, Left Them In Crying Pain

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Hundreds of Congolese soldiers have reportedly rampaged through several villages in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The troops allegedly raped women and pillaged homes as they pulled back ahead of a feared rebel advance, the United Nations said.

UN spokesman Colonel Jean-Paul Dietrich said the soldiers are believed to have attacked civilians near the town of Kanyabayonga.

Kanyabayonga is 60 miles north of the provincial capital, Goma.

Mr Dietrich said 700 to 800 Congolese soldiers then fled Kanyabayonga and went on a rampage through several villages to the north.

In New York, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for an immediate cease-fire so aid workers could urgently help "at least 100,000 refugees" cut off in rebel-held areas north of Goma.

The UN chief also said he was "very concerned by reports of targeted killings of civilians, looting and rape".

Ban said about 3,000 more UN peacekeeping soldiers and police were urgently needed to bolster the 17,000-strong UN force in Congo that has been unable to stop the fighting or halt the rebel advance.

Congo's armed forces are notoriously ill-disciplined soldiers, historically better at looting than standing their ground.

The fighting in eastern Congo is fuelled by ethnic hatred left over from the 1994 slaughter of at least 500,000 Tutsis in neighbouring Rwanda.

Rebel leader Laurent Nkunda has said he is fighting to protect minority Tutsis from Rwandan Hutu militants who participated in the genocide before escaping to Congo.