Officials from Congo, Rwanda and Uganda have set a one-month deadline for Rwandan rebels operating out of Congo to disarm and return home or face serious consequences.
Regional cooperation ministers from the three countries made the joint appeal Thursday in Rwanda's capital, Kigali.
Many of the rebels, who are ethnic Hutus, are accused of involvement in Rwanda's 1994 genocide. Their presence in Congo has been blamed for a decade of instability.
The Democratic Republic of Congo says it will use pressure to get them to return to Rwanda.
The rebels promised in March they would disarm and return home. But few have done so, asking the Rwandan government for more guarantees.
Rwanda says it will not grant any special terms and will prosecute anyone believed to have participated in the genocide.
Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.
