This is the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo - home to a long-running clashes between the government and rebel forces.

This week, that conflict seemed to ease as the government announced it was halting an offensive into rebel territory.

The suspension comes after hundreds of government troops defected during earlier fighting.

Activists in the region said the ceasefire smacked of a major government setback.

(SOUNDBITE) (French) ACTIVIST, MPOYI HOMMES, SAYING:

"I think this decision was made because it was clear that the operations did not produce the desired results."

The eastern region of this vast central African country remains unstable nearly 10 years after the signing of a peace deal ending a wider war.

Human rights workers say hundreds of thousands of civilians have been displaced by the fighting and accused the Congolese army of crimes against humanity, including mass rape.

Andrew Raven, Reuters.