DR Congo and M23 rebels reach tentative deal to end conflict

Congo and M23 rebels on Saturday signed a declaration of principles in Qatar to end decadeslong fighting in eastern Congo that commits them to a permanent ceasefire and a comprehensive peace agreement to be signed in one 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” facilitated by the US in June, according to a copy of the declaration seen by The Associated Press.

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 African Union hailed the new deal as a "significant development", saying: "This... marks a major milestone in the ongoing efforts to achieve lasting peace, security, and stability in eastern DRC and the wider Great Lakes region".

The M23 rebel group is the most prominent of the armed groups launching attacks to seize control of the Congo’s mineral-rich east.

With 7 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.”