Kigali — D R Congo army Chief General Vainqueur Mayala Kiama has refuted reports that his forces had halted military operations against extremist Rwandan militias, RNA reports.

General Amisi Tango - head of DRC land forces told reporters in Goma on Saturday that government forces - FARDC had suspended all offensives against the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda rebels following intervention from the international community.

Critics of the operations have feared they are targeted campaigns against Hutus pointing to a possible Genocide.

"Instead, he (Gen Amisi) said those that want to be part of operations against the FDLR rebels must join the mixed units of the army. Because the problem of FDLR does not concern groups, or a brigade and not even an individual", UN Radio Okapi quotes Gen Mayala to have told journalists Wednesday in Goma. "It is a government problem."

In January the DRC government agreed with the support of the UN forces - MONUC - to flash out the rebel force that has been the cause of tension between Kigali and Kinshasa.

The plan involved various militias including forces loyal to renegade Gen Laurent Nkunda joining the mainstream army to form brigades that would fight off the Rwandan rebels.

Reports that the offensive had been suspended seven months after it had not even recorded any visible successes were received with furry in Kigali.

"The (DRC) government will put in place other mixed and integrated units that will continue the war against the FDLR", Gen Mayala said.

He (Amisi) did not also say that it is necessarily only the mixed (forces) that must track down the FDLR, Gen Mayala noted, adding why do people want to change what the Land forces commander said?

The DRC army announced the end of the operations after critics alleged the Tutsi leaning units were killing Hutus civilians.

Meanwhile Rwanda foreign affairs Minister Dr Charles Murigande said today that the DRC government declined the option of allowing friendly forces from Angola and Zimbabwe to command the campaign on the rebels.