A body monitoring a peace deal in the Democratic Republic of Congo late yesterday announced an agreement on the sharing out of the country's ten military regions among the former warring factions.

Disputes over the division of the regions have held up efforts to complete the peace process in the country for several weeks.

After two days of non-stop meetings, the commission set up to supervise the peace process announced late yesterday that the ex-government would be allocated three regions, while the main former rebels groups, Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD) and the Congolese Liberation Movement (MLC), would get two each.

Three smaller former factions, the Congolese Rally for Democracy-National (RCD-N), the Congolese Rally for Democracy-Liberation Movement (RCD-ML) and the Mai-Mai militia, would each be placed in control of one region.

The head of each military region would also be assisted by two deputies from a group other than the one to which he belongs.

The commission was set up to monitor the peace process and transition to democracy after an agreement reached between warring Congolese factions in South Africa last December. – Sapa-AFP.