PARIS, Dec 23 (Reuters) - The Democratic Republic of Congo, whose troops are helping fight rebel forces in neighbouring Uganda, said on Tuesday it expected to be "totally rid" of the rebels within days.

Congolese, Ugandan and South Sudanese troops are jointly fighting fugitive rebel leader Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army in a bid to end one of Africa's longest-running conflicts.

"These operations began over a week ago and are proceeding acceptably and we think that in the coming days we will be able to be totally rid of Mr Kony's militiamen," Congolese Foreign Minister Alexis Thambe Mwamba told a news conference in Paris.

The regional forces launched a joint assault on Kony's base in Congo on Dec. 14 after the LRA leader again failed to sign an accord to end the two-decade war.

A rebel spokesman said on Monday that self-proclaimed prophet Kony had escaped an attack by the armies and still hoped a peace deal could be struck.

In fighting government forces the Kony's rebels have killed thousands of people, mutilated their victims, displaced about two million people and destabilised a swath of central Africa. (Reporting by Francois Murphy; Editing by Jon Boyle)

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