Thousands of civilians have fled more fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a local official said on Thursday, highlighting continued instability in the lawless jungle frontier region near Rwanda. Fears of a return to full-scale war in Congo were fuelled last month when Rwanda threatened to attack rebels based there, some of whom took part in its 1994 genocide, and clashes between armed men in Congo were reported earlier this month. "There was fighting yesterday just over the (provincial) border in North Kivu and I heard heavy weapons. As of late last night it has been calm," said Jean Shweka, the administrator of Minova, a town in eastern Congo's South Kivu province. "There are now about 7,000 displaced people here in Minova," he told Reuters by telephone. He had no details on casualties or who was involved in the fighting in three nearby villages. There was no immediate independent confirmation of the violence. Shweka said civilians were reporting that their houses had been burned and looted. Rwanda, which invaded Congo in 1996 and 1998 ostensibly to hunt down the Hutu rebels, has denied sending any troops across the frontier but said on Wednesday it was massing soldiers on the mountainous border with its vast neighbour. --More 2121 Local Time 1821 GMT
