Rebel groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have announced a ceasefire for humanitarian purposes, effective as of Tuesday.

In a statement, the Congo River Alliance, which includes the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, announced a ceasefire, citing "humanitarian reasons" for the decision. This comes after the group had been actively advancing and capturing territory in the eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

According to the United Nations (UN), recent clashes around Goma, the largest city in eastern DRC, have resulted in the deaths of at least 900 people, while 2,880 others have been injured following the city's capture by rebel forces.

Meanwhile, the G7 nations and the European Union (EU) have strongly condemned the rebel offensive, labelling it as a blatant violation of DR Congo's sovereignty. The rebel alliance has, however, accused the Congolese military of carrying out aerial bombings on areas under their control, leading to civilian casualties. Despite initially expressing intentions to expand its territorial control, the group now states that it does not plan to seize additional areas and will hold its current positions instead.

The alliance stated, "We reiterate our commitment to protecting and defending the civilian population and our positions."

Ongoing regional fighting has led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people over the past three years. Since the beginning of 2025, more than 400,000 individuals have been forced to flee their homes, as reported by the UN's refugee agency.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who also serves as the commander-in-chief of the Rwanda Defence Force, stated that he was unsure whether Rwandan troops were present in the DR Congo.

"There are many things I don't know. But if you want to ask me, is there a problem in Congo that concerns Rwanda? And that Rwanda would do anything to protect itself. I'd say 100%," Paul Kagame informed CNN on Monday.

Human rights groups are urging to increase pressure on Rwanda to withdraw its support for rebel groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo. To this end, the Communications Minister of the DR Congo has specifically called for sanctions to be imposed on Rwanda,

"A strong decision (must be taken) not only to condemn but to stop what Rwanda is doing because it is not acceptable if you want to preserve peace in Africa and in our region," Patrick Muyaya briefed Reuters. He further said, "Sanctions are the minimum".

The presidents of Congo and Rwanda are scheduled to participate in a regional peace summit in Tanzania on Friday. Given the 30 years of conflict between the two nations, negotiations are anticipated to last for months, provided they do not collapse as they have multiple times over the past year.