The Ugandan Government was yesterday asked to name the perpetrators of atrocities and the plunder of natural resources in the DR Congo.

 The corruption scandal has led to a Shs80 trillion war reparations demand from the neighbouring country.

MPs also voiced fears that Uganda could be "mortgaged" for failure to pay reparations for crimes committed in the DR Congo by Ugandan troops and other officials.

Rubaga South MP Ken Lukyamuzi and other lawmakers, quoting an August 27 Daily Monitor story, demanded to know who was behind the plunder of DRC.

"We would like to know the people who committed these atrocities in DRC and how we are going to pay DRC before our country is mortgaged," Mr Lukyamuzi said.

He added: "Our country is about to be mortgaged and none of us can afford to pay Shs82.8 trillion because we are one of the poorest nations."

Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah then asked acting Leader of Government Business Ruth Nankabirwa to explain DRC's $23.5 billion claim.

"Uganda as a sovereign country has a system of facing challenges like the one Hon Lukyamuzi put on table. This country will not be mortgaged. We have alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to deal with these matters," Ms Nankabirwa told the House.

It was reported last week that talks between Uganda and DRC about the disputed reparations for plunder and atrocities committed by top Ugandan government and military officials collapsed after the two sides failed to overcome hurdles to a final agreement. Solicitor General Francis Atoke told the Public Accounts Committee last week that talks hit a snag after the DRC government demanded $23.5b (about Shs82.8 trillion) for the plunder of its resources and compensation for atrocities committed yet Uganda had offered $25m (about Shs88.12b) in reparations.