The African Union will consider the deployment of an international force in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo after regional leaders met at the weekend to urge M23 rebels to end their military offensive and withdraw from Goma, an official said Monday.

The AU "expressed its intention to consider... the deployment of the international neutral force," AU peace and security commissioner Ramtane Lamamra said after an emergency session of the Security Council convened to discuss the unrest in the DR Congo.