Leaders from Africa's Great Lakes region signed a U.N.-mediated peace deal aimed at ending the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo Feb. 24 in Addis Ababa, Reuters reported.

Police in South Africa have arrested 19 suspected Congolese rebels, including two senior members of the M23 group, on suspicion the suspects were running an illegal military operation, police said Feb. 5, Reuters reported.

The U.N. Security Council imposed sanctions on M23, a rebel group in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, on Dec. 31, 2012, freezing assets of persons linked to the group and barring them from travel.

Truckloads of Rwandan soldiers have crossed the Congolese border and are camped within 20 miles of Goma, the strategic city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo recently occupied by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, aid organizations said, The New York Times reported Dec. 17.

The M23 rebels, after retreating from Goma, demanded negotiations with the Congolese government and will go to Uganda soon for talks, an M23 spokesman said Dec. 5, AP reported.

M23 rebels began to leave Goma on Dec. 1 after defying two earlier ultimatums to leave and postponing their withdrawal, a U.N. official said, AP reported.

The M23 militia postponed its departure from Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on Nov. 30, defying the second ultimatum set by neighboring countries, AP reported.

The M23 rebel group has maintained its grip on towns in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, despite its agreement to withdraw, Reuters reported Nov. 28.

The M23 rebel group has begun vacating towns captured from government troops, including Sake and Masisi, and will soon leave the eastern city of Goma following a deal mediated by Uganda, an M23 leader said Nov. 28, Reuters reported.

The leader of the M23 rebel group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo will withdraw the group's forces from the eastern cities of Goma and Sake, Reuters reported Nov. 27, citing Uganda's chief of defense forces, Aronda Nyakayirima.