THE OUTLINE of a desperately needed peace process to end the deadliest conflict since 1945 was emerging last night after Britain and France warned the leaders of Congo and Rwanda that they could be held to account by the rest of the world if the violence in eastern Congo continued.
As relief organisations scrambled to secure corridors for the delivery of aid to tens of thousands of people scattered throughout the bush by the rebel offensive in eastern Congo, the UK foreign secretary, David Miliband, and Bernard Kouchner, his French counterpart, held talks in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, with African Union (AU) officials, aimed at drawing up a blueprint for regional peace negotiations.
Before arriving in Tanzania, Mr Miliband and Mr Kouchner delivered tough messages to the leaders of Rwanda and Congo, saying Europe would not stand by and watch another cycle of the conflict that has its origins in the Rwandan genocide of 1994, and that has since claimed about five million lives and created more than one million refugees.
"They were warned: 'You need to call off the dogs. You will be held to account if bad things happen'," a British official said.
The process will involve Tanzania's president, Jakaya Kikwete, the current head of the AU, hosting a delegation from Rwanda today and a Congolese government delegation tomorrow. That would be followed in the next few days by face-to-face peace talks in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, with AU and European Union participation.
In a statement yesterday, Mr Miliband and Mr Kouchner said there was "no excuse for turning away", and the British foreign secretary later told reporters: "Our message is a simple one - all sides must fulfil their responsibilities."
British prime minister Gordon Brown echoed that message.
Speaking to reporters during a tour of the Gulf States, Mr Brown said: "We must not allow Congo to become another Rwanda."
The vigorous EU diplomatic push came after 10,000 rebels led by Laurent Nkunda, a Tutsi, went on the offensive in North Kivu province, displacing tens of thousands of people who had been repeatedly uprooted by earlier cycles of the conflict.
Mr Nkunda, who is thought to be supported by Rwanda, claims to be protecting Tutsis from Hutu extremists.
The presence of those Hutus dates from the Rwandan genocide, when they were driven into Congo, accused of killing 800,000 Tutsis and Hutu moderates.
Yesterday, thousands of refugees were on the move again after rebel pledges that they would be safe.
From dawn, the road out from the town of Goma, the regional capital, was lined with families trudging north towards Kibumba, where many of them had been staying in a displaced persons' camp until a few days ago.
Erna van Goor, head of mission in Goma for Medecins sans Frontieres, one of the few agencies not to withdraw its staff last week, described the humanitarian situation in North Kivu as "very confusing", and said there were still no accurate figures as to how many people were in need.
"The situation is very serious. We know there is an urgent, large requirement for food, water, medicine and shelter."
Peter Smerdon, of the World Food Programme, said UN agencies would travel to Rutshuru today for the start of an assessment mission, and then move into other rebel-held areas.
"At the moment it's uncertainty over the security status that's making things difficult.
"We have sufficient food stocks in Goma for an initial response to the displacement, but it's a matter of getting it to the people in need."
Mr Miliband said the first goal of the diplomatic efforts was to ensure that a ceasefire held, and that a humanitarian corridor was kept open into rebel-held territory.
However, both he and Mr Kouchner played down the prospect of EU forces being sent.
Instead they emphasised the need for the 17,000-strong UN force that is currently in Congo, Monuc, to be reorganised, so more troops could be deployed to the east. - ( Guardianservice)