Congo ex-rebels given perks for backing Kabila -UN

Fri Dec 30, 2011 8:28pm GMT

[-] Text [+]

* Report adds to worries over Kabila's re-election

* Divisions in Congolese military seen widening

* Ex-rebel Ntaganda made a general in Congolese army

By Jonny Hogg

KINSHASA, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Former rebels have been promoted to senior posts in Democratic Republic of Congo's military in return for supporting President Joseph Kabila's re-election effort, the United Nations said in a report on Friday.

The finding could deepen divisions within the army and add to doubts over the credibility of the Nov. 28 poll , which was marred by violence and described by Kabila's opponents as fraudulent, although endorsed by the Supreme Court.

The government has been integrating former rebels into the army, the FARDC, in a bid to curb rebellion.

Since February, Congo's senior military have been trying to reduce tensions by cementing the chain of command and eliminating loyalties based on rebel groupings.

But the U.N. report by the Group of Experts, a committee established to monitor the situation in Congo, found that this process had been "hijacked" by former rebels. Continued...

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