Nigeria, April 25 -- The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Rwanda-supported M23 rebels have agreed to suspend fighting as they work towards a truce to put an end to the conflict in the eastern part of the country. The warring parties announced the ceasefire agreement in a joint statement issued on Wednesday after a round of negotiations in Qatar's capital, Doha.

This development could usher in an end to the decades-long conflict that has roots in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, with M23 made up primarily of ethnic Tutsi fighters.

Qatar had mediated between the parties and pushed for a peace deal after the Gulf state successfully negotiated a surprise meeting between President Felix Tshisekedi of the DRC and President Paul Kagame...