Congo and rebel groups agree three-day ceasefire ahead of presidential vote

Congo’s security forces and rebel groups have agreed on a 72-hour ceasefire to de-escalate tensions in the country’s eastern region near the border with Rwanda, the US has announced (Jerome Delay/AP)

Congo’s security forces and rebel groups have agreed on a 72-hour ceasefire to de-escalate tensions in the country’s eastern region near the border with Rwanda, the US has announced.

The agreement, just days before Congo’s presidential election, was backed by both Congo and Rwanda, said White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson.