Nairobi  - People in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo province of North Kivu are still being subjected to violence, rape and being forced from their homes despite a peace pact signed at the end of January, a group of aid agencies said Tuesday.

At least 150,000 people have been forced during the intervening months to flee their home areas either to escape government forces or those of rebels, the group of 64 agencies said.

In January, rebel groups and the government signed what was hailed as a landmark peace deal that could see their protracted conflict inch toward a resolution.

Rebels loyal to renegade general Laurent Nkunda agreed to maintain a ceasefire to prevent further deaths in a conflict that forced more than 450,000 people to flee their homes since late 2006. The eastern Mai Mai rebels also signed the peace deal.

The aid groups Tuesday made a joint appeal to the international community to pressure all sides in the region, including the government, to end the continuing violence.

They called on the European Union, the United Nations, and the African Union to assign an ombudsman for human rights to play a role in the peace process in the region.

Among its priorities, the job would entail tackling the problem of child soldiers forced under arms by the region's various armed groups.

Especially threatened were women and girls, the agencies said. In June alone, over 2,200 cases of rape had been reported from North Kivu. The real figure was believed fare higher.

An Oxfam statement said: "The peace agreement has failed to silence the guns, and the people of eastern Congo continue to suffer and to run for their lives."

Anneke Van Woudenberg, senior Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch, said: "The international community and the Congolese government should do what it takes to make the peace programme a reality, not just a nice idea. They need to ensure it's funded properly so it reaches those most in need." (dpa)