In a surprise announcement from Qatar Tuesday the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda jointly called for a cease-fire in an effort to end warfare between them after 30 years of fighting.

After talks in Qatar, the two countries’ presidents said they were committed to an unconditional truce between Congo’s army and a rebel group that Rwanda denies backing.

Rwanda-backed rebels battling Congo’s army have pushed into a strategic, mineral-rich town in the east, ignoring calls for a ceasefire this week by the Congolese and Rwandan presidents as the M23 rebel group expands its footprint in the conflict-torn African country.