DR Congo, Rwanda-backed M23 rebels agree to ceasefire in Qatar
On Saturday, the DR Congo and Rwanda-backed armed group M23 signed a ceasefire agreement to end the fighting that has ravaged the country’s mineral-rich, conflict-plagued eastern region.
"The Parties commit to uphold their commitment to a permanent ceasefire," including refraining from "hate propaganda" and "any attempt to seize by force new positions", said the truce signed in the Qatari capital, Doha, News.Az reports citing foreign media.
The ceasefire forms part of a Declaration of Principles signed by the warring parties after three months of talks in the Gulf emirate, an official with knowledge of the negotiations said.
The M23 armed group, which seized vast swathes of mineral-rich territory in eastern DRC in a lightning offensive in January and February, had insisted on seeking its own ceasefire deal with Kinshasa after its Rwandan ally signed a peace agreement in Washington last month.
It also includes "a roadmap for restoring state authority in eastern DRC once a peace agreement is signed," the official added.
Eastern DRC has been racked by conflict for more than three decades, creating a humanitarian crisis and forcing hundreds of thousands of people from their homes.
Thousands of people were killed in the M23 offensive earlier this year which saw the rebels capture the key provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu.
The front line has stabilised since February, but fighting still breaks out regularly between the M23 and multiple pro-government militias.
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