A ceasefire to the fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has been declared by the leaders of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Angola and former Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta.
This was announced at the conclusion of a summit held in Luanda this week which sought to end the ongoing fighting in eastern DRC.
Eastern Congo has faced a major insurgency by the M23 group in the east of the country. And the government of DRC has long claimed it is being clandestinely supported by Rwanda, despite Rwanda’s denials.
The ceasefire declaration also ordered M23 to withdraw from recently occupied territories or face an intervention by African forces from across the region.
The United Nations’ largest peacekeeping force has been stationed in Eastern DRC for years, but hundreds of independent armed groups continue to operate in the region and hold territory outside of the central government’s control.