seventeen-and-under girls interviewed having been raped. The threat of children being used as soldiers had also increased, with World Vision advocacy director Sue Mbaya claiming that "A silent war has been waged against women and children." On November 26, 2008, rebel forces engaged Mai-Mai militia near the towns of Kinyando and Kwwenda despite the ceasefire, sending civilians "fleeing along highways". The UN condemned this breach of the ceasefire while calling on the Congolese government to discipline government troops, who were caught looting the village of Bulotwa. Meanwhile, a crowd of 100,000 displaced persons gathered in the rebel-held town of Rutshuru, where the United Nations were distributing supplies and medicine, intended to help combat cholera, which was reported to be affecting hundreds of people, having spread through unsanitary refugee camps. On November 29, 2008, Nkunda stated that unless the Congolese government entered into direct talks he would re-initiate the conflict. After meeting with UN special envoy Olusegun Obasanjo Nkunda stated that, "If there is no negotiation, let us say then there is war. I think the good way is negotiation. I know [the Congolese government army] have no capacity to fight so they have only one choice, negotiation." Obasanjo affirmed that the "course of peace [had] been advanced", with the Congolese government agreeing to talks but not where to hold them. Government-belligerent talks On December 8, 2008, the Congolese government sent representatives to Nairobi to negotiate with a potential collection of 20 armed groups, who had been invited to foster peace talks in hopes of ending the conflict and settling issues in what was praised as a brave "first step" towards peace. According to Congolese information minister Lambert Mende, "We want this to be an inclusive process. We don't want to leave anyone out." However, the main rebel group, Laurent Nkunda's CNDP rebels, declined to attend, as did Congolese President Joseph Kabila, as both were after bilateral talks. CNDP spokesman Bertrand Bisimwa stated that this was because the group had not been informed about the decision to invite other groups, including government-aligned militias; he affirmed the rebel decision to have one-on-one talks with the government, stating, "Our position is very clear. We will negotiate with the government and no one else. The government can negotiate with whomever it wants. But any attempt to impose Amani (previous peace talks) on us will fail." Tensions later heightened as Nkunda's rebels announced that they