Geneva - The United Nations' Human Rights Council announced Wednesday it is to hold a special session Friday on the situation in the eastern section of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Humanitarian aid organizations and other groups working in Congo have accused fighters in the Kivu region of having committed severe rights abuses, including sexual violence against women.

France, which holds the European Union presidency and is a member of the council, called for the session and was backed by 15 other nations who are also council members, the requisite minimum number needed to convene the UN's top human rights body.

Some 250,000 people have been made refugees or internally displaced by the fighting since August between government forces and those of the Tutsi rebels loyal to General Laurent Nkunda. They come on top of over 1 million people who were displaced by previous conflicts.

The UN maintains its largest peacekeeping mission in Congo, at 17,000 strong, and the Security Council authorized the deployment of 3,000 more troops last week to help end the fighting in the Kivu region. (dpa)