KINSHASA (Reuters) -- By the pool at the Grand Hotel in uptown Kinshasa, two young former rebel soldiers sidle up to the barbecue, Kalashnikovs slung over their shoulders.

In the lobby, armed police deploy around the polished furniture as uneasy guests weave past. The lifts open and three more soldiers push out, keeping close to two suited men.

As a fragile peace replaces five years of war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, politicians and ex-rebels are flocking to the capital Kinshasa to take their places in a power-sharing government.

And with the new national army still taking shape, many former warlords and rebel chiefs are bringing their own protection -- hence the guns at the chic Grand Hotel, built by dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.

"You can just feel the tension with them walking around with their rifles and pistols. That's certainly not the way to run a hotel," said one foreign guest.

The scene at the Grand Hotel is the visible tip of the disarray in military reform in this vast central African country, where more than three million people died during the civil war, mainly from hunger and disease.

The warring factions have signed a peace deal, but thousands of fighters from the national army, ex-rebel groups, militias and private armies are at large in the remote and lawless eastern region, where sporadic ethnic clashes still occur.

One of Congo's biggest challenges will be demobilising these fighters and integrating them into a new, apolitical army for a country the size of Western Europe. Then, they will have to ensure their loyalty. --- Dangerous Delays ---

The government and military experts are trying to decide how many men each armed group should contribute to the army. The longer the process drags, the more risk there is of a breakdown.

"The danger is that with soldiers needing to be fed, they could be used by elements who are not for the peace process," said one western diplomat.

On the ground, local brigade leaders from different rebel groups have been swearing allegiance to new regional military commanders and the Kinshasa government in the hope of getting a job or a pay-off.

Azarias Ruberwa, a former rebel and now one of Congo's four vice presidents in charge of military reform, has already promised some kind of assistance for ex-combatants.

"We have decided to provide all police and soldiers, some 200,000 people, with food rations. This will be an act of sovereignty so that all police and soldiers recognize their allegiance to the Kinshasa government," he said.

Analysts say that long delays in rewarding fighters for their new allegiance could lead to impatience -- a dangerous trait among battle-hardened fighters who may be tempted to use their weapons again to make their fortunes.

"Disillusioned soldiers can also be bought out more easily by unscrupulous power brokers," the diplomat said.

Militating against the speedy formation of a national army, are internal power struggles in a body that aims to bring former foes together on joint patrols.

Congo's 10 military regions have been allocated to commanders from the various rebel groups and former government.