By Sonia Rolley

(Reuters) -Congo and the M23 rebel group signed an agreement on Tuesday for the monitoring of an eventual “permanent ceasefire”, a step towards potentially ending fighting in eastern Congo, according to sources on both sides and a copy seen by Reuters.

The agreement is a sign of progress in Qatar-mediated talks after the two sides missed an August 18 deadline to finalise a peace deal.

Qatar has hosted multiple rounds of direct talks between the Congo government and the rebels going back to April, but they have so far dealt largely with preconditions and confidence-building measures.

CEASEFIRE MONITORING DEAL WAS ONE OF TWO KEY STEPS

The ceasefire monitoring agreement was one of two key steps to complete before talks towards a comprehensive peace agreement could begin,

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