Congo government, rebels to sign ceasefire Tuesday

By Joe Bavier

KINSHASA (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congo's government and warring rebel and militia factions will sign a deal on Tuesday to end fighting in the country's conflict-torn east, government officials and diplomats said on Monday.

The agreement, which will include a ceasefire, was announced after more than two weeks of talks in Goma, capital of North Kivu province, that brought together government officials, local leaders and rival armed factions.

"(A ceasefire) will be signed tomorrow at the closing ceremony," Vital Kamerhe, spokesman for the peace conference and head of Congo's lower house of parliament, told Reuters.

More than 400,000 civilians in North Kivu have fled their homes over the past year to escape fighting between government soldiers, local Mai Mai militia, and Tutsi insurgents loyal to renegade General Laurent Nkunda.

Under the deal to be signed, an immediate permanent ceasefire would be established between the government, the Mai Mai and Nkunda, diplomats and observers at the talks said.

Nkunda's fighters would pull back from advanced positions in North Kivu, many of which they have held since the failure of a government offensive in December. This would create space for a buffer zone to be patrolled by United Nations peacekeepers.

A technical commission would then be established to oversee the disarmament of the Nkunda rebels and Mai Mai fighters and their integration into the national army, or demobilization. The government would promise to create an amnesty law for the Mai Mai and the Nkunda rebels covering "insurgency and acts of war".

A similar agreement was also due to be signed for neighboring South Kivu province involving another group of Tutsi insurgents and eight other Mai Mai militia factions.