Rebel forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo claim they are three days from capturing the eastern city of Goma.
Their progress has been slowed by UN peacekeepers.
Amani Babu, a top aide to renegade general Laurent Nkunda said 'We were positioned just 15km from the town, but MONUC engaged us with their helicopter gunships. We think in two or three days we will be able to take the town of Goma.'
Heavy fighting erupted early this morning near the regional capital, where government forces are blocking access roads and where the UN force confirmed it used helicopter gunships yesterday to halt a rebel offensive.
After MONUC (the UN Mission in Congo) joined the fight this morning, the rebels retreated to higher positions near Kibumba.
The government in Kinshasa has accused Rwanda of actively supporting Gen Nkunda, a charge which Kigali has denied.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame held talks today at his offices in Kigali with a Congolese government delegation sent by his counterpart in Kinshasa, Joseph Kabila.
The UN refugee agency said it was feeding around 30,000 people displaced by the renewed fighting in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The newly displaced began pouring into the Kibati camp this week after fleeing the advance of ethnic Tutsi rebels loyal to General Nkunda.
The UNHCR, along with UNICEF and the World Food Programme, is delivering emergency food and non-food aid and erecting tents to improve conditions in the camp, 10km north of Goma.
