The UN special envoy to the Democratic Republic of Congo met with the Central African country's main rebel leader on Sunday for the first time, pressing to firmly establish a cease-fire even as the UN reported more heavy fighting in the east.

The visit by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo came after he talked to DR Congo's president and the president of neighboring Angola in recent days, trying to get a resolution to DR Congo's political crisis.

After a two-hour meeting in a church compound, Obasanjo said the rebel leader agreed to maintain a fragile cease-fire.

Nkunda said the government of DR Congo had to support the cease-fire as well.

He described his talks with Obasanjo as "exploratory" and lauded the envoy's involvement as "great."

Speaking at a news conference in Goma, Obasanjo described the meeting as "friendly and brotherly".

Olusegun Obasanjo, UN special envoy to Democratic Republic of Congo and former Nigerian President said:
"The first thing is that the atmosphere was cordial, it was friendly, it was brotherly, it was welcoming."

Olusegun Obasanjo, UN special envoy to Democratic Republic of Congo and former Nigerian President said:
"As for his demands, he said he wants to have a meeting with government, without the conditions that caused issues pertaining to politics, economics, and security."

Nkunda, a former general, quit Congo's army in 2004 and launched a rebellion he claims is aimed at protecting ethnic Tutsis from Hutu militias who fled to DR Congo after Rwanda's 1994 genocide that left more than 500,000 mostly Tutsis dead.

Critics, however, say Nkunda is more interested in power and the country's mineral wealth.

AP