Congo militia leader agrees to disband
 

A warlord accused of kidnapping seven U.N. peacekeepers has agreed to disband his militia and become a colonel in Congo's army, officials said Monday.

Peter Karim and about 1,000 of his fighters from eastern Congo will be integrated into Congo's military, said Major Franck Ntumba, an army officer who was involved in the negotiations.

The United Nations has said that Karim's forces were responsible for the May kidnapping of seven U.N. peacekeepers, the last five of whom were released in early July.

Congo's restive east, where Karim's militia was based, is seen as a potential stumbling block for landmark presidential elections scheduled for July 30. The U.N. has been trying to get militiamen to turn over arms and halt fighting ahead of the vote, but sporadic firefights have continued.

About 17,000 U.N. peacekeepers are in Congo to help stabilize the country for its first democratic presidential election in more than four decades.