Congolese warlord Laurent Nkunda has declared a cease-fire ahead of peace talks with the government intended to end a spiraling conflict in the country's lawless east, said a close associate of Nkunda, according to AP. «We confirm that we have called a cease-fire. We will respect it. But we are also waiting for the government to do the same, as they have not yet done so,» said Nkunda's second in command, Bwambale Kakolele, in a telephone interview Wednesday. «Through this cease-fire, we hope to facilitate the peace conference,» Kakolele said. Fighting in eastern Congo has escalated dramatically since August, as rival rebel militias clash over the forested territory. Nkunda's army is one of the most powerful and Congo's army launched an offensive in an effort to dislodge the rebels from their jungle hideout. An estimated 800,000 people have fled their homes this year. Rapes, including of infants, have become common, as has the raiding of schools to recruit child soldiers.
