U.N. Warns of DR Congo Military Buildup

U.N. envoys warned Monday of a new military buildup by government forces and rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as peace talks stalled.

Negotiations in Kampala between the DR Congo government and M23 mutineers were suspended earlier Monday.

U.N. officials who helped brokered the talks appealed for new efforts by the two sides but raised fears of new conflict at a U.N. Security Council meeting.

U.N. envoy to DR Congo Martin Kobler told the council there has been a "considerable military buildup" by rebel and government forces around the key eastern city of Goma.

Kobler also said there are reports that M23 was forcing young men among refugee families returning from neighboring countries to train for fighting.

The envoy said that among almost 200 M23 fighters who have sought refuge at the U.N. mission in Goma, many claim to have been recruited in Uganda but "mainly" in Rwanda.

U.N. experts have accused Rwanda of aiding the M23 which has been battling government forces since March last year. The Kigali government denies any role in the conflict.

U.N. special envoy to the Great Lakes region, Mary Robinson, said there were "alarming" reports of military reinforcements around Goma. She said this highlighted the "critical" need for an accord in the Kampala talks.

The DR Congo government and M23 halted the negotiations because of disagreements over a proposed amnesty for M23 rebels and how they would be reintegrated into the army.

Robinson said however that the two sides had reached consensus on eight of out 12 articles in a proposed peace accord.

"The parties found it difficult to agree on certain contentious and difficult issues that had remained problematic throughout the talks, namely: the amnesty, disarmament and integration of M23," Robinson said.

Under a draft accord being discussed, there would be an amnesty for all acts of insurrection from April 1, 2012, around the time that the insurrection started, up to the signature of any accord, she said.

But Robinson insisted it would not include any M23 leaders facing International Criminal Court charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, mass rape and recruiting child soldiers.

She added that M23 fighters could be taken into the DR Congo army on a "case-by-case basis" as long as they swear allegiance to the state.

"They have agreed to reconvene soon in order to overcome their differences," Robinson said.