Leaders from 10 African countries today condemned the fresh armed conflicts in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), said reports from Brazzaville, capital of the Republic of Congo.

In a statement issued at the the 6th World Forum on Sustainable Development in Brazzaville, the leaders said the recent conflicts violated the agreement signed in the DRC's eastern city of Goma.

The leaders condemned attempts to resolve political disputes by using force and called for an end to the hostilities and implementation of the Goma deal.

The presidents of the Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, Gabon, Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Sao Tome and Principe, Benin and Togo, as well as Chad's prime minister, singed the statement.

The leaders encouraged all initiatives to peacefully resolve the conflict and called for international assistance, especially help from the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC), in restoring peace to the country.

They also pledged to work all out to restore peace, security and stability in the region.

Fresh fighting broke out on Tuesday in the country's eastern region between government forces (FARDC) and the militia, known as the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP), led by former general Laurent Nkunda.