African rivalries weaken UN hand against rebels in Congo

Hundreds of Rwandan rebels in eastern Congo are defying a six month ultimatum to disarm, ratcheting up pressure on regional powers and U.N. peacekeepers to eliminate, once and for all, a force at the heart of two decades of conflict.

Midway to a deadline set by regional leaders, not one Hutu rebel had laid down his weapon and yet rivalries among African nations are undermining the prospect of U.N.-led military action against insurgents Rwanda has previously hunted down in Congo.