Kampala — Angolan troops have joined Congolese soldiers battling rebels near the city of Goma, UN officials reported on Friday, raising new fears the conflict will spread as African leaders struggled to find a way to stop it.

Fighting between rebels and the army flared on Friday as the African leaders gathered in Nairobi to discuss the conflict. Congolese President Joseph Kabila and Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who have accused each other of supporting rival rebel groups, held a brief one-on-one meeting during the summit.

The new clashes erupted just outside Goma near Kibati, where about 45,000 refugees from the rebellion in mineral-rich eastern Congo have taken refuge.

Thousands fled toward the relative safety of Goma. Some crossed into Uganda's Kisoro District.