UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- Members of the rebel March 23 Movement fighting in Democratic Republic of Congo should seize the moment and bring peace back to the country, peace envoys said.
Regional and international delegates met in Uganda this week to review the prospects for peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo. M23 mutinied last year, complaining the government reneged on previous peace agreements. The movement seized parts of eastern DRC briefly last year and is suspected of committing war crimes during its rebel campaign.
Martin Kobler, U.N. special envoy for DRC and head of the peacekeeping mission there, said M23 has an opportunity to act usefully.
"I urge particularly the M23 to use the dynamics of the last few days to more constructively and without delay to sort out in the next few days the remaining issues and bring back peace to the eastern DRC," he said in a statement.
Kobler last week expressed concern over security in eastern Congo after M23 rebels fired on U.N. helicopters in two separate occasions. The U.N. peacekeeping mission in DRC is mandated to use force to help secure the region.
Former Irish President Mary Robinson, U.N. special envoy for the region, said negotiating partners in Uganda "found it difficult" to agree on ways to disarm and reintegrate members of M23.
