Johannesburg  - Southern African leaders on Sunday resolved to provide "immediate assistance" to the Army of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) against Congolese rebel leader Laurent Nkunda's forces.

The 15-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) said it would deploy a peacekeeping force in Congo "if necessary."

Johannesburg  - A summit of Southern African leaders called Sunday for Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his arch-rival, prime minister-designate Morgan Tsvangirai, to share control of the contested Home Affairs Ministry.

The dispute over the key internal security agency has threatened to sink a power-sharing deal that had offered a way out of Zimbabwe's political stalemate.

Japan's Pa