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

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 the US in June, according to a copy of the declaration seen The Associated Press.
It is the first direct commitment both Congo and the rebels since they seized two key cities in eastern Congo in a major advance.
Backed 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.”