KINSHASA, Nov 17, 2007 (AFP) - The UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo has opened an investigation into allegations of violent sexual abuse implicating one of its soldiers in the country's northeast, it said Saturday.

The incident is alleged to have involved a soldier from the mission's base in Bunia in the Ituri district and occurred on the night between November 13 and 14, the mission said in a statement.

It added that 'all allegations of this nature are taken seriously by the mission'.

GOMA, DR Congo, Nov 17, 2007 (AFP) - Seven people were killed and eight injured when a tunnel collapsed on illegal miners digging in workings in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a local official said Saturday.

Dieudonne Tshiku, administrator of the Walikale district, 90 kilometres (55 miles) north of the Nord-Kivu provincial capital of Goma, said local people had pulled the victims out after the collapse happened on Thursday.

He said an investigation had been launched into the accident at the workings operated by the Mining Processing Company.

KINSHASA, Oct 22, 2007 (AFP) - President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo left Kinshasa early Monday for the United States, which backs his post-war government and where he will meet his US counterpart, George Bush.

Kabila was accompanied on the flight by Foreign Minister Antipas Mbusa Nyamwisi and several cabinet members including his political and diplomatic aide, Marcellin Cishambo, a foreign ministry source said.

THE HAGUE, Oct 22, 2007 (AFP) - Congolese militia leader Germain Katanga, accused of massacres, using child soldiers and turning women into sex slaves, is to make his first appearance on Monday before the International Criminal Court.

Katanga, 29, arrived in The Hague Thursday after being handed over to the ICC by Congolese authorities in Kinshasa. He is only the second person to be transferred to the custody of the ICC, the world's first permanent war crimes court.

GOMA, DR Congo, Oct 22, 2007 (AFP) - The Democratic Republic of Congo army said Monday it had resumed control of an eastern town seized by rebel forces over the weekend and the heavy fighting between the two sides had ended.

Forces loyal to renegade general Laurent Nkunda confirmed the clashes in the eastern Nord-Kivu region that prompted thousands of people to flee their homes Sunday was over, and said they were waiting to hear about possible talks.

GOMA, Oct 21, 2007 (AFP) - Thousands fled their homes in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday after 'open combat' between rebels loyal to renegade general Laurent Nkunda and government troops, the army said.

'We are in open combat. There is heavy artillery gunfire' the head of the army (FARDC) in the restive Nord-Kivu region, general Vainqueur Mayala, told AFP Sunday.

'At the moment we've got two dead within our own ranks' Mayala said as Nkunda's men claimed to have killed dozens of FARDC troops.

No independent death toll was available Sunday night.

GOMA, Oct 21, 2007 (AFP) - Thousands of civilians fled their homes in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday after rebels loyal to renegade general Laurent Nkunda briefly took a key road.

Nkunda's forces infiltrated the town of Rugari and occupied the road from Nord-Kivu provincial capital Goma to Rutshura, said Sylvie van den Wildenberg, spokeswoman for the UN peacekeeping mission in DR Congo (MONUC).

GOMA, Oct 21, 2007 (AFP) - Loyalists of a renegade ex-general temporarily cut access Sunday to a key road in Democratic Republic of Congo where fierce fighting took place the day before, the United Nations said.

The road from Goma, capital of Nord-Kivu province, to Rutshura was cut late Saturday and only reopened mid-morning Sunday, the UN peacekeeping mission (MONUC) said.

'We immediately sent a rapid reaction force with armoured vehicles and the insurgents retreated to hills further east at our arrival,' said MONUC military spokesman Major Prem Kumar Piwari said.

THE HAGUE, Oct 21, 2007 (AFP) - Congolese militia leader Germain Katanga will on Monday become only the second person to appear before the International Criminal Court to face accusations of massacres, using child soldiers and turning women into sex slaves.

Katanga, 29, arrived in The Hague Thursday after being handed over to the ICC by Congolese authorities in Kinshasa.

The prosecution accuses Katanga of massacring villagers, using child soldiers and sexually enslaving women in the northeastern Ituri region of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

GOMA, DR Congo, Oct 20, 2007 (AFP) - Fierce fighting Saturday in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo among local militias, the army and rebels loyal to a renegade general forced thousands to flee, the UN and Congolese army said.

'Very violent attacks' were reported early Saturday, army commander Colonel Delphin Kahimbi told AFP, adding that the fighting was between the 'Mai Mai (a local militia) and (ex-general Laurent) Nkunda's insurgents'.