Angola has been trying to mediate a lasting ceasefire and lower tensions between DRC and neighbouring Rwanda, which has been accused of backing the Tutsi-led rebel group. Rwanda denies those allegations.
The conflict, which has blighted eastern DRC for decades, is rooted in the spillover into DRC of Rwanda's 1994 genocide and the struggle for control of Congo's vast mineral resources. It escalated significantly this year, with M23 gaining ground it had never controlled before, including east DRC's two biggest cities and a host of smaller localities.
DRC's government has said at least 7,000 people have died in the fighting since January. At least 600,000 people have been displaced by the fighting since November, according to the UN humanitarian affairs office.
Angolan President Joao Lourenco on Saturday urged all parties to cease hostilities from midnight to create a conducive climate for the talks. "The ceasefire must include all possible hostile actions against the civilian population and the occupation of new positions," he said in a statement.
Both DRC and M23 have repeatedly accused each other of violating ceasefires in the past.
Fighting did not appear to have stopped on Sunday, as a local official reported clashes in the Walikale region.
**Reuters**