Slaughter of civilians described as odious

Mr Amara Essy who is the interim head of the commission, described the ethnic violence which occurred last week, as odious.

In a statement, he urged the parties to the conflict in Ituri to maintain calm and to continue to observe a ceasefire negotiated last month between the warring factions there.

Some confusion remains about exactly how many people were killed in the attacks, which targeted members of the Hema ethnic group and was reportedly carried out by fighters of their arch-rivals, the Lendu.

Local witnesses had told the UN mission, Monuc, that just under 1,000 people had been killed in a three hour period.

However, on Wednesday, a UN representative of Secretary General Kofi Annan in Bunia then reportedly told UN radio that he thought the figure was more likely to be somewhere between 150 and 300 civilians.

But on Thursday in Kinshasa, Monuc spokesman Hamadoun Toure said that UN official had only been referring to three of the 14 sites where the masscres took place and where mass graves are sited.

Next week, Monuc plan to send a mutltidisciplinary team, including medical examiners, who are able to exhume the bodies and determine a more accurate toll figure.

Meanwhile, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Sergio Vieira de Mello, has given a commitment that those responsible for the massacre would not go unpunished.

Mr Vieira de Mello said he was alarmed by the "savage killing spree".

The International Criminal Court is the first permanent international tribunal established to try cases of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

Africa's worst war

Details of the latest massacre emerged as an aid agency, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), published its account of the full scale impact of the war.

DR CONGO'S WAR Four years Seven foreign armies At least 3 million dead Disease and abuses widespread Hope survives DR Congo killing

It said 3.3 million people had died as a result of the war, making it the "tragedy of modern times".

Africa's worst ever war began following the invasion of the north and east of the country by Rwanda and Uganda, to, as they said, prevent armed groups attacking them from Congo's territory.

This brought in armies, which have now left, from other countries to fight on the side of the Congolese Government.

Meanwhile talks ended on Wednesday in Cape Town among five African presidents on the war in Congo.