They are lobbing stones and rocks over the wall surrounding the UN offices in the provincial capital of Goma. UN spokesman Sylvie van den Wildenberg says cars are being damaged and windows shattered.

People in eastern Congo are angry that the United Nations' 17,000-strong peacekeeping force has been unable to protect them from a rebel attack just 40 kilometres north of the city.

Tens of thousands of civilians have abandoned their homes.

Hundreds of soldiers pulled back from the front on Monday in tanks, jeeps, trucks and on foot in what appears a retreat of government forces under attack by fighters of renegade Gen. Laurent Nkunda. -- AP