Announcement came after UN health agency said at least 900 people were killed in fighting between the rebels and DR Congo forces in eastern city of Goma

The Rwanda-backed rebels who seized the key city of Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo announced a unilateral ceasefire in the region on Monday for humanitarian reasons, following calls for a safe corridor for aid and hundreds of thousands of displaced people.

The M23 rebels said the ceasefire would start on Tuesday. The announcement came shortly after the UN health agency said that at least 900 people were killed in last week’s fighting in Goma between the rebels and Congolese forces.