Congo and Rwanda-backed rebels sign declaration of principles for a permanent ceasefire in the east
The truce was agreed in a Declaration of Principles signed by the two sides after three months of talks in the Qatari capital, Doha, which follows a separate Congolese-Rwandan peace deal signed in Washington last month.
A final peace deal is to be signed no later than August 18, and such a deal 'shall align with the Peace Agreement between Congo and Rwanda', the declaration said.
"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", a statement said.
It is the first direct commitment by both Congo and the rebels since they seized two key cities in eastern Congo in a major advance.
The M23, 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.
The group is the most prominent of more than 100 armed groups fighting for control in Congo's mineral-rich east. It said the Washington deal left out various "problems" that still needed to be addressed.
The warring parties agreed to open negotiations on a comprehensive peace agreement.
The deal also includes a road map for restoring state authority in eastern DRC.
Eastern DRC has been racked by conflict for more than three decades.
With seven million people displaced in Congo, the UN has called the conflict in eastern Congo 'one of the most protracted, complex, serious humanitarian crises on Earth".
The front line had stabilised since February, but fighting was still breaking out regularly between the M23 and multiple pro-government militias.
The African Union the ceasefire was a "significant development".
"This... marks a major milestone in the continuing efforts to achieve lasting peace, security, and stability in eastern DRC and the wider Great Lakes region," African Union chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf said in a statement.
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