Congo-Kinshasa and Rwanda have signed a peace agreement that may mean an end to the violent clashes that have claimed thousands of lives and displaced hundreds of thousands of people.
The agreement, which was negotiated by the USA, Qatar and the African Union, was signed by the foreign ministers of the two countries in Washington DC on Friday.
The mineral-rich eastern Congo-Kinshasa has been conflict-ridden for decades. The situation has escalated over the past six months since the Rwanda-backed rebel group M23 has captured large areas, including the major city of Goma.
The agreement does not explicitly mention the gains made by M23, but urges Rwanda to end the "defensive measures" that the country has taken.
Rwanda has denied that it directly supports M23 and has in turn demanded that the rebel group FDLR be dismantled, one of the rebel groups behind the genocide in Rwanda in 1994.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was present when the peace agreement was signed, says that "there is more work to be done" but that the agreement will allow people to "have dreams and hopes for a better life".
