The DR Congo army and the M23 rebels on Monday, December 11, agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire, according to a statement from the White House.

The two parties have had a fragile ceasefire since November 2022 which was broken on October 1 as hostilities renewed, threatening to end regional peace efforts.

In a statement issued late Monday, the National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson said the United States "welcomes the ceasefire committed to by the parties to the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.”

She said the ceasefire began at midday on Monday and was "a follow-up to the confidence building measures” secured during Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Avril Haines’ travel on November 19-20 to the DR Congo and Rwanda, and her subsequent engagements with Presidents Felix Tshisekedi and Paul Kagame.

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Watson said on Monday "armed forces and non-state armed groups ceased fighting to facilitate the withdrawal of forces occupying the locality of Mushaki and the RP1030 road (Kirolwire-Kitchanga).”

Eastern DR Congo has been volatile for nearly 30 years and remains home to more than 130 armed groups.