President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda have held direct talks for the first time since Rwanda-backed March 23 fighters seized Goma and Bukavu major cities in the eastern DRC.

In a joint statement issued with Qatar, whose emir mediated the talks in Doha, the countries called for an “immediate ceasefire” in eastern DRC

“The Heads of State then agreed on the need to continue the discussions initiated in Doha in order to establish solid foundations for lasting peace,” the statement said

Authorities in the DRC accuse Rwanda of sending weapons and troops to support the M23 fighters, which Rwanda has denied.

The talks came after M23 representatives pulled out of mediations initiated by Angola after European Union sanctions on Rwanda.

Earlier the DRC government had issued a reward to whoever will lead them to senior leaders of M23 and the Congo River Alliance, an action which sparked more grievances.

In a statement, M23 said the sanctions “seriously compromise direct dialogue and prevent any advance”.

The EU also sanctioned three Rwandan military commanders and the country’s mining agency chief over support for the M23 fighters

The conflict in eastern DRC escalated in January when the March 23 advanced and seized the strategic city of Goma, followed by Bukavu in February.