It follows a proposal by mediator Angola for the Congolese government and the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group to respect a ceasefire starting from Feb 18.

“The president of the republic has accepted the principle of a ceasefire,” the presidency of the DRC said in a statement, without giving a date for when it would take effect.

The resource-rich eastern DRC has been mired in unabated violence for 30 years by scores of armed groups.

The region, which borders Rwanda and Burundi, has been targeted by the M23 anti-governmental group since its resurgence in 2021.

Since then, half a dozen ceasefires and truces have been signed and broken.

Peace efforts led by Qatar and the US have recently sought to end the crisis, leading to the signing of two separate accords.

However, the agreements have not so far succeeded in stopping the clashes.