Angola announces ceasefire deal between DR Congo and Rwanda

LUANDA, Angola

Angola on Tuesday announced a ceasefire agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda.

The deal follows a meeting between the foreign ministers of Rwanda and DRC hosted by Angolan President Joao Lourenco at the presidential palace in the capital, Luanda.

Kinshasa has long accused Kigali of backing M23 rebels fighting the army in its eastern North Kivu province, an accusation Rwanda denies.

A report commissioned by the UN Security Council found that 3,000 to 4,000 Rwandan soldiers have been fighting alongside the M23 and that Kigali had "de facto control" of the group's operations.

This latest suspension of hostilities is due to come into effect from midnight on 4 August, as a partially respected humanitarian truce between the M23 and government forces expires.

But it is not yet clear which parties have agreed to down their arms.

The DRC’s mineral-rich east has been racked for some 30 years by fighting between both local and foreign-based armed groups, including M23 rebels.

The United Nations says more than 1.7 million people have been displaced by fighting in the province, driving up the number displaced by multiple conflicts in the country to over 7 million.