French military officials were in northeastern Congo on Tuesday, trying to decide whether to send troops to an area where tribal fighting has killed more than 200 people this month.

The rival Hema and Lendu tribes reached a peace agreement on Friday, calming the fighting in Ituri province, and bringing fears of a humanitarian disaster.

Red Cross workers have buried 231 bodies of people killed between May 4 and May 19, said Hamadoun Toure, a UN spokesman in Congo.

Congolese police officer, with UN soldiers guard the entrance to Bunia airport (AP PHOTO)

He said many of the bodies were found lying on the streets of Bunia, a key town in the region. The death toll could rise as Red Cross workers continue to search the town.

UN officials are looking into allegations of cannibalism.

Once the fighting tribes signed the ceasefire, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan asked 20 countries to participate in an international force for the region, anchored by a 1,000-troop battalion from France.

France has sent analysts to Bunia to assess the security situation, and supply lines.

Both the Hemas and Lendus oppose the presence of an international force, though it was part of the deal they signed last week.

The UN has 750 troops in Bunia, but they haven't been able to stop the fighting. Two UN observers were killed last week.

The Hemas, traditional cattle-raisers, have long been rivals of the farming Lendus. For centuries they have struggled for control of land and other resources.

The struggle turned more deadly in 1998 when, at the start of civil war in Congo, the Ugandan, Rwandan and Congolese governments put guns in the hands of both tribes, angling to get control of the Ituri region's rich natural resources.