THE United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Ms Sadako Ogata, yesterday called for an immediate ceasefire in eastern Zaire to avert the deaths of tens of thousands of people.
Her plea, made in New York, came as the Geneva based refugee agency announced it had decided to evacuate all its international staff from the refugee centre of Goma after fighting intensified in eastern Zaire.
Hopes of peace talks remained uncertain as Kenya announced it would host a regional summit next Tuesday, shortly after Zaire's prime minister, Mr Kengo wa Dondo, said his country refused to negotiate as long as the "enemy" held Zairean territory.
The Zairean president, Mr Mobutu Sese Seko, Zaire's strong man since 1965, is in Lausanne, Switzerland, convalescing from a prostate operation two months ago. He has ordered the government to make no territorial concessions.
The government has accused Rwanda and Burundi, Rwanda's southern neighbour, of arming and supporting Zairean Tutsi rebels, while both Kigali and Bujumbura say Zaire is helping armed Hutu extremists among the refugees.
In Paris, French officials said EU development and humanitarian aid ministers would hold emergency talks next Thursday in Brussels on the tide of Rwandan Hutu refugees fleeing fighting in eastern Zaire.
The Belgian Foreign Minister, Mr Erik Derycke, and his secretary of state for co operation, Mr Reginald Moreels, had written to the EU commissioner for humanitarian aid, Ms Emma Bonino and the Irish presidency asking for a meeting to be convened.
The Belgians also proposed that aid agencies and the Organisat ion of African Unity be present at the November 7th meeting.
Chris McGreal adds from Cyangugu: Government soldiers are fleeing eastern Zaire in disarray after losing control of much of the region as one provincial capital fell to Tots rebels and another. Coma, is on the brink of collapse.
Tutsi fighters now occupy thousands of square miles, or have at least denied control to the Zairean government, potentially heralding the break up of one of the largest countries in Africa.
Banyamulenge rebels have finally seized control of Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, after less than two weeks of full scale fighting. In neighbouring North Kivu, another group of Tutsi rebels is bearing down on Goma. Heavy machine gun fire and mortars reverberated across the city yesterday. Zairean troops were fighting around the airport about three miles from the city centre.
The spokesman in Goma for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr Panos Moumtzis, said: "The airport has been taken over. It is confirmed from the Zairean side. Right now there is no movement in town. It is completely deserted." Reports said shells also landed around Goma from across the border in Rwanda, as happened shortly before the final rebel push on Bukavu.
Although Rwanda admits its troops raided Bukavu earlier this week, it continues to insist it is not directly involved in supporting the rebellion.
One hundred thousand Rwandan Hutu refugees have fled ahead of the rebel advance on Goma, further swelling Mugunga refugee camp to the west of the city. It is already the largest in the world with about 500,000 people. The UN says 80 per cent of its occupants are women and children. Many others are thought to be caught behind rebel lines.
. The trial of a Rwandan accused of crimes against humanity during Rwanda's 1994 genocide was adjourned in Arusha. Tanzania, yesterday until January to allow the defence to prepare.
In New York, the UN Secretary General, Dr Boutros BoutrosGhali, told the Security Council that the situation in Burundi and Zaire was critical and around 10,000 people had died in the past three months.