Kigali, May 14: Rebels sought to consolidate their grip on a troubled northeastern Congolese town today after a week of fighting that killed at least 112 people. But after a few hours of calm, Lendu tribal fighters, using mortars and small arms, launched a counter offensive on the town of Bunia. The Lendu fighters were forced from the town yesterday by the union of Congolese patriots, a rebel group made up of fighters from the Hema minority _ the Lendu's traditional rivals. The rebels captured Bunia after launching a raid on the town with rockets and mortars, said Patricia tome, spokeswoman of the UN mission in Congo. The Hema group has battled the Lendu for control of Bunia since May 7, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes.

Aid workers, who left the town amid the violence and looting, trickled back today to help residents many of whom had had taken refuge at U.N. Shelters, tome said.

``The solution is for the new authorities to guarantee security of civilians to encourage them to go back to their homes,'' said Roy Mahesh, an official with the British aid group Oxfam.

The fighting around Bunia began after neighboring Uganda completed the withdrawal of its more than 6,000 soldiers from the town.

Ugandans left the town in the hands of Lendu tribal fighters, a small contingent of UN troops from Uruguay and a smaller Congolese police force.

Bureau Report