Felix Tshisekedi of Congo had long said his country would not negotiate with the Rwanda-backed militia, making the joint agreement a rare bright spot in the conflict.

The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have agreed to halt fighting in the east of the country until peace talks mediated by Qatar reach their "conclusion". It is the latest truce deal since the rebels stepped up an offensive in eastern DR Congo where authorities say 7,000 people have been killed since January.

Every morning the Congolese city of Bukavu, now under the control of the Rwanda-backed M23 movement, counts its dead. The M23 had already taken control of another major city in eastern DRC, Goma, at the end of January.