At the meeting, mediated by the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the heads of state reaffirmed the commitment of all parties to an "immediate and unconditional" ceasefire, the three leaders said in a joint statement released after the meeting in Doha.

"The heads of state then agreed on the need to continue the talks begun in Doha in order to lay solid foundations for a lasting peace," the statement added.

The two Presidents, Félix Tshisekedi (DRCongo) and Paul Kagame (Rwanda), were due to meet at a peace summit called for December 15 in the Angolan capital, after a ceasefire agreement signed in Luanda on July 30 and which came into force on August 4 was interrupted by renewed fighting. The meeting did not take place due to Kagame's absence.

The meeting of the two leaders in Doha took place on the same day as the start of a direct peace dialog between delegations from the DRC and the rebels in Angola, which is also acting as a mediator in the conflict.

The meeting in Angola never took place, after the M23 canceled its participation following the imposition of sanctions against some of its leaders by the European Union (EU).

In a statement issued late this afternoon in Luanda, the Angolan Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the meeting between delegations from DRCongo and M23 had been postponed until "an opportune moment", due to "circumstances of force majeure".

"The Angolan Ministry of Foreign Affairs would like to inform national and international public opinion that, for reasons and circumstances of force majeure, it was not possible for the scheduled meeting between the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the March 23 Movement (M23) to take place this Tuesday, March 18, in Luanda," reads the statement.

The Angolan government, which is taking on the role of mediator in the search for a solution to the ongoing conflict in eastern DRCongo, assures that it "continues to make every effort to ensure that this meeting takes place at an opportune moment, reaffirming that dialogue is the only lasting solution for peace" in that region of neighboring DRCongo.

The meeting in Luanda would mark the start of direct peace negotiations and would be part of the "steps taken by the Angolan mediation in the conflict affecting eastern DRCongo," according to the Angolan Presidency.

The Angolan head of state, João Lourenço, acting president of the African Union (AU) since last February, has acted as a facilitator to promote peace and security in the region and reduce tensions between the DRC and Rwanda, a country accused of militarily supporting the M23 rebels.

M23 has been advancing in democratic Congolese territory since January, when it seized Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.

In February, M23, which is supported by Rwanda - according to the UN and countries like the US, Germany and France - seized Bukavu, the strategic capital of the neighboring province of South Kivu.

The rebels now control the capitals of these two provinces, which border Rwanda and are rich in minerals such as gold and coltan, essential for the technology industry and the manufacture of cell phones. (Angola 24 horas)