The Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 rebel group agreed to an immediate cease-fire at a meeting in Qatar on Saturday.
The representatives of both sides met in Doha and signed a declaration of principles to end fighting in easter Congo.
The declaration comes after months of talks in the Gulf emirate.
The M23 armed group, which seized vast swathes of mineral-rich territory in eastern DRC in a lightning offensive in January and February, had insisted on seeking its own ceasefire deal with Kinshasa after its Rwandan ally signed a peace agreement in Washington last month.
"The Declaration includes an agreement for an immediate ceasefire, outlines a commitment to begin formal negotiations on a comprehensive peace agreement in the near future, and establishes consensus on a mechanism for a permanent ceasefire," an official with knowledge of the negotiations said late Friday.
It also includes "a roadmap for restoring state authority in eastern DRC once a peace agreement is signed," the official added.
Eastern DRC has been racked by conflict for more than three decades, creating a humanitarian crisis and forcing hundreds of thousands of people from their homes.
Thousands of people were killed in the M23 offensive earlier this year which saw the rebels capture the key provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu.
The front line has stabilized since February, but fighting still breaks out regularly between the M23 and multiple pro-government militias.
