Congo, Rwanda-backed rebels sign declaration of principles for permanent ceasefire in east

Congo and Rwanda-backed 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 Aug 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.

Backed by neighbouring Rwanda, the M23 is the most prominent of more than 100 armed groups fighting for control in 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.”