The former M23 rebels living in a camp in Uganda have declined to respect an amnesty the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Joseph Kabila, announced on Wednesday.

The DRC amnesty covers only acts of insurgency, acts of war and political offences committed by the M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo up to December 20, 2013. Although the presidential order for amnesty was welcomed by the UN and some Western countries, the former M23 rebels have described it as lousy and nosence.

The Kabila amnesty deal doesn’t include cases of genocide, crimes against humanity, terrorism, torture, sexual violence, child conscription, embezzlement and looting peoples property, which issues the M23 rebels are much interested in most.

Congo and the UN accuse Rwanda and Uganda of backing the M23 rebels that started in April 2012 following a mutiny by former rebels that had joined the Congolese army.

Former M23 rebels have six months to approach president Kabila and vow “in writing, on their honour, not to commit acts that come under the present amnesty. However the former M23 rebels have told us in Kampala that they are not interested in Kabila’s amnesty.

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