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 since the rebels stepped up an offensive in eastern DR Congo where authorities say 7,000 people have been killed since January.

The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have agreed to pause fighting as they work towards a broader peace deal, according to their joint statement. The truce,

Peace talks between the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels in Qatar’s capital, Doha, have taken a positive step after each party agreed to work towards ending the conflict.