country, raping and pillaging. Their conflict is rooted in land and commercial rivalries in a region rich in gold, timber and diamonds.

Congo's Defense Minister Adolphe Onusumba told the news agency in Bunia that he supported the action of the UN troops, known by their French acronym MONUC.

"I was not informed about any operation that was conducted by MONUC in the area ... but anything that is done to dismantle these militias is in the interest of the Congolese," he said.

Congo's fragile government is struggling to impose its authority on the eastern warlords and said on Monday a further 3,000 soldiers would be sent to support a brigade in Bunia.

The fighting in the east has cast a shadow over Congo's efforts to draw a line under a wider five-year war that officially ended in 2003 and which killed nearly 4 million people, mostly from hunger and disease.

Elections are due to be held in June, but instability in the east as well as logistical problems have raised questions about whether the polls can be held on time.