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South African President Thabo Mbeki has offered a compromise power-sharing plan aimed at advancing the stalled Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) peace talks. But a spokeswoman with the mediating team at the Sun City, South Africa talks says at least one of the rebel groups already has rejected the plan. 

Mediation team spokeswoman Rosine Ngangoue says the proposal is unlikely to lead to an agreement because rebel groups are questioning its formula for power sharing. She says the rebels believe the proposal will not give them enough influence in the government. 

A spokesman for the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD) was later quoted as saying the plan does not offer a realistic solution for ending the war. 

President Mbeki Wednesday has proposed creating a council of state that would include leaders from both main rebel groups - the RCD and the Congolese Liberation Movement. The plan would have President Joseph Kabila stay on as transitional president. 

The proposal also calls for the creation of a parliament and for a prime minister to be a appointed from the political opposition The peace talks are aimed at ending nearly four years of war. Participants include Congolese rebels, politicians and civic groups. The dialogue is scheduled to conclude Thursday. 

The discussions, called for under a 1999 cease-fire, have been stalled for weeks over the formation of a transitional government and the creation of a new army. The war in Congo started in 1998 and pits rebel groups backed by Uganda and Rwanda, against government forces supported by Angola, Zimbabwe and Namibia. 

Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.

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