London: Britain voiced caution over plans to send more UN or European Union troops to the strife-hit Democratic Republic of Congo, saying it was too early to decide.

Africa minister Mark Malloch-Brown said he had spoken to the UN's special representative on the crisis, Alan Doss, who had "renewed his request for troops."

"I told him we first had to see how the political situation was going to shape up and whether or not this ceasefire would hold. Our first priority is a political process backed by adequate humanitarian process," he said yesterday.

"We do have to keep in mind the prospect that peace will not be restored and therefore we cannot rule out an additional deployment, whether it is a strengthening of (the UN force in DRC) or an additional European force.

"But I think it is too early to say that is necessary and whether it would arrive in time is also questionable," he told the House of Lords.

France's Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner has suggested sending up to 1,500 troops to back up the UN peacekeeping mission that is struggling to keep rebels from overrunning the strategic eastern city of Goma.

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary David Miliband renewed his calls for an urgent political solution to the situation.

"The UK continues to be very concerned at the impact recent fighting has had on the already dire humanitarian situation in the region," he said in a statement released by his office.

"There is an urgent need to restore long-term stability."

Source : PTI