Published Saturday, November 08, 2008 6:05 AM

Angolan troops reported in Congo fight

By MICHELLE FAUL
Associated Press

GOMA, Congo -- Reports that Angolan troops had joined Congolese soldiers battling rebels near the city of Goma raised new fears that the conflict could spread in the region, but the U.N. chief holding a peace conference in nearby Nairobi denied the reports.

New clashes between the army and rebels erupted outside Goma near Kibati, where about 45,000 refugees from the rebellion in mineral-rich eastern Congo have taken refuge.

Congo asked Angola for support Oct. 29 as rebels led by a Tutsi former general, Laurent Nkunda, advanced toward Goma, capital of North Kivu province near the Rwandan border. Nkunda called a unilateral cease-fire last week when his forces reached the city outskirts, but the truce has crumbled.

---

Notice about comments: Theeagle.com is pleased to offer readers the ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. Theeagle.com cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not theeagle.com. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "report abuse" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website. Full terms and conditions can be read here. The Eagle is proud to offer our users enhanced commenting features. You can now build user-to-user connections, follow friend's recent posts, add an avatar that fits your personality, and more. If you have posted here before you’ll need to sign up again and if you’ve never posted start now by signing up!

---

[comment]