NEW : If civilians were killed , deaths may constitute war crimes , he said . He said Friday that the recent violence , which the United Nations estimates has displaced 252,000 people , must be prevented from spilling into the wider region . U.N. chief : Rebels in east Congo pose ` ` poisonous consequences '' for peace . Cease - fire in Congo unraveling in third straight day of fighting . Battles between warlord Joseph Wade 's rebels and civilians spreading , U.N. chief .
NEW : If civilians were killed , deaths may constitute war crimes , he said . U.N. chief : Rebels in east Congo pose ` ` poisonous consequences '' for peace . Cease - fire in Congo unraveling in third straight day of fighting . Battles between warlord Joseph Wade 's rebels and civilians spreading , U.N. chief .