THE Democratic Republic of Congo and the Rwandan-backed M23 militia have reached an agreement to halt the fighting in the east of the DRC, it was reported today.

The BBC said that the ceasefire deal has been agreed as a step towards achieving a longer-term peace through talks being mediated by Qatar.

The deal comes after a week of talks between the two sides that they both described as “frank and constructive.”

Previous commitments to a ceasefire, announced unilaterally, have not held, and Wednesday’s statement was the first such commitment to be announced jointly.

The conflict has intensified since January after the M23 militia achieved huge gains, seizing Goma and Bakavu, the two largest cities in eastern Congo.

The DRC accuses Rwanda of providing military support to the M23, including sending about 4,000 troops to support the militia. 

Rwanda has continued to deny any involvement in the fighting despite confirmation by the United Nations.

The DRC also accuses Rwanda of providing the support to the M23 in order to exploit the rich mineral resources available in the east of the country. Rwanda also denies this accusation.

A joint statement from the DRC government and the M23 on Wednesday saw each side pledging to give peace talks a chance.

The statement said: “By mutual agreement, both parties reaffirm commitment to the immediate cessation of hostilities, a categorical rejection of any hate speech, intimidation and call on all local communities to uphold these commitments.”

Qatar has been mediating between the two warring sides after the militia refused to attend peace talks in Angola last month.

Before now, the DRC government has refused to take part in direct talks with the M23 which it brands as a “terrorist” group.

The UN Human Rights Council last month launched a commission to investigate atrocities, including allegations of rape and killing akin to "summary executions" by both sides.