New York - United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday urged warring parties in the Democratic Republic of Congo to end hostilities, as he prepared to meet with African Union leaders to discuss the situation there.

The fighting in eastern Congo between government troops and a mixed militia group of the Coalition of Patriots in the Congolese Resistance (PARECO)/Mayi-Mayi and the National Congress in Defence of the People (CNDP) in the Rutshuru area marred a ceasefire agreement from August.

Ban was scheduled to meet with AU leaders in Nairobi on Friday. He called on all sides to revert immediately to the ceasefire agreement and retreat to positions agreed to in August.

The fighting in eastern and northern Congo has driven at least 250,000 Congolese out of their homes, creating a fresh humanitarian crisis. The meeting in Nairobi was aimed at working out a solution to the conflict.

"The secretary general continues to work closely with the leaders of the sub-region to assist in finding a comprehensive and lasting solution to this crisis," the UN said in a statement. (dpa)