Nairobi/Goma - The UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) condemned "war crimes" in the country, as Pope Benedict XVI called for joint effects to find a peaceful solution to the crisis.

MONUC head Alan Doss condemned militias fighting in the DR Congo's east, accusing them of committing "war crimes."

Doss said the UN did not yet have a clear idea of a massacre that occurred in Kinwanja, a town which was first captured by Mai Mai militias loyal to the government, then by the forces of rebel general Laurent Nkunda.

UN aid workers had found the bodies of dozens of civilians in the town some 80 kilometres north of the provincial capital of Goma.

African leaders attending an emergency summit in Nairobi Friday on the conflict urged an immediate ceasefire and the extension of UN peacekeeping powers in the country.

Some 250,000 people have fled the region since heavy fighting broke a ceasefire in August.

Meanwhile, Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday called for cooperation among all relevant parties in seeking a peaceful solution to the ongoing conflict.

In his Angelus prayer in Rome, Benedict lamented the disturbances and numerous innocent victims in the already "distressed land."

The fighting and the "systematic atrocities" have already forced tens of thousands to leave their few possessions, he said.

Everyone's cooperation was needed for peace, the rule of law and human dignity to be restored, the pope added.

The conflict in the Kivu region stands at the centre of the special summit of the regional grouping, the Southern African Development Community.

The summit began Sunday in Johannesburg.

African leaders attending an emergency summit in Nairobi on the conflict on Friday urged an immediate ceasefire and the extension of UN peacekeeping powers in the country.

Friday's summit also called for the creation of humanitarian corridors to help the hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing the conflict in the North Kivu region of eastern Congo. (dpa)