MONUSCO yesterday said the disarmament order was instead an appeal to rebels to cooperate.

The United Nations Special Intervention Brigade in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC yesterday August 5, 2013 backtracked on its earlier ultimatum to M 23 rebels around the provincial capital of Goma to disarm within 48 hours or face the consequences, Radio France Internationale, RFI reported.

The order, issued on July 31, 2013, was welcomed by local people who saw in it an end to recurrent rebel incursions into the border town, but U.N. authorities have now recanted the ultimatum, explaining that the warning was instead “an opportunity for armed groups to cooperate!” At a press conference in Goma, MONUSCO Force Commander, General Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz, said last week’s ultimatum was a communication error as the security zone the force wanted to create around the city did not include M 23 positions.

According to RFI, the sudden change in position was prompted by the intervention of Uganda’s President, Yoweri Museveni, who complained to the U.N. Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region, Mary Robinson, that the ultimatum could threaten the fragile peace in the region and ongoing talks in Uganda between M 23 rebels and the DRC government. The talks are chaired by President Museveni.

Earlier on August 1, 2013 in Goma, Gen. Santos Cruz explained that the establishment of a security zone in the Goma-Sake area was aimed at protecting over one million people, Press TV reported. He said the ultimatum allowed armed groups or individuals in the area to voluntarily hand in their weapons and thus contribute to bringing security to North Kivu Province.

The Security Council on March 28, 2013 created a specialised intervention brigade within MONUSCO to neutralise armed groups and reduce threats posed by them to State authority and civilian security.