DR Congo: M23 rebels announce ceasefire

M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have declared a ceasefire in their fight with state forces.

The announcement raised hopes of an advance in peace talks between the two sides – although there was no immediate reaction from the army.

The DRC army has pushed the M23 out of all the towns they had seized during a 20-month rebellion.

This week, the rebels abandoned Bunagana, their last stronghold in the east of the country, retreating into the hills and forests around the DRC’s borders with Uganda and Rwanda.