Peace deal between DRC government, M23 postponed

An peace deal which was expected to be signed on Monday between the government of Democratic Republic of Congo and the battered rebel group M23 was postponed, Ugandan government spokesman Ofwono Opondo said. The two sides failed to sign the deal because the DRC delegation demanded more time to study the agreement, according to Opondo who, however, did not give information about when the accord will be inked. The latest development came after the M23 said earlier in the day that it would sign a peace deal with the government on Monday in Uganda, which has hosted a series of talks since December 2012. In a statement released on Monday, the M23 said a ceremony would be held in the day in the Ugandan town of Entebbe to mark the end of the rebellion. The rebel group has decided to sign an agreement to lay down arms since its insurgency in April 2012. M23 commander Sultani Makenga and hundreds of his followers fled into Uganda and surrendered last week after dislodged from their last positions in DR Congo.