Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame called for a ceasefire in eastern Congo on Tuesday during their first meeting since M23 rebels stepped up an offensive there in January.

The presidents of Congo and neighboring Rwanda have met in Qatar for their first direct talks since Rwanda-backed M23 rebels seized two major cities in mineral-rich eastern Congo earlier this year.

Belgium, Rwanda’s former colonial ruler, pushed for the European Union to impose sanction against Rwandan officials over their role in invading eastern Congo and plundering its mineral wealth.

President Felix Tshisekedi, who has long ruled out dialogue with M23, considered changing his position after a string of defeats as regional support for Congo has waned.

The M23 backtracked on peace talks after the European Union announced sanctions related to the offensive which targeted its political leader Bertrand Bisimwa and Rwandan army comm

A major peace meeting aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has collapsed before it even began. Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, who have been at the center of violent clashes in eastern Congo,