KAMPALA, Uganda, July 24 (UPI) -- The Ugandan government is interested in finding a solution to the conflict in Democratic Republic of Congo before it turns into civil war, a minister said.
Fighters loyal to rebel Gen. Bosco Ntaganda, dubbed M23, mutinied in April, saying the government in Kinshasa reneged on a peace deal that saw their forces integrated into the national army.
At the time of the mutiny, Ntaganda was the subject of a 2006 arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court. This month, the ICC issued a second warrant for Ntaganda on charges of suspected crimes against humanity.
Ugandan Regional Affairs Minister Asuman Kiyingi said his government was proposing negotiations at a meeting of regional leaders in Kampala in an effort to find a way to prevent DRC from collapsing into civil war.
"The situation in eastern DRC has worsened, with armed groups like M23 taking territory from government troops," he was quoted by Ugandan newspaper New Vision as saying.
A meeting in Kampala in August would be attended by regional leaders as well as U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
The U.S. government this week suspended military aid to Rwanda, which is suspected of fueling the crisis in DRC. The Rwandan government denies the allegations.
