Government officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo have confirmed that they will sign peace agreement with rebel leaders in the next 24 hours.

The New York-based Human Rights Watch says all sides in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo are guilty of murder, rape and forcing children to fight.

In the Democratic republic of Congo, the leader of the rebel National Congress for the People’s Defense (NCPD) said his forces would not be able to abide by President Joseph Kabila’s ultimatum of laying down their weapons today (Monday).

The United Nations refugee agency says there are worrying signs that fighting could erupt again among government forces, renegade troops and rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo's North Kivu province.

A Russian-made cargo plane with at least 17 people on board has crashed and exploded in a crowded neighbourhood of the Democratic Republic of Congo's capital Kinshasa.

The World Bank Board of Executive Directors approved on June 5th an International Development Association (IDA) grant of US$150 million to finance an expansion of primary enrollment, the rehabilitation of education infrastructure and an improvement of the quality of education in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, human-rights organizations say they are not reassured by President Joseph Kabila's statement that the military action that left dozens dead last week was necessary to maintain peace. They say the way to national reconciliation is open dialogue and space for a strong opposition. Naomi Schwarz has this story from VOA's regional bureau in Dakar.