A UNILATERAL ceasefire starting today was declared by the Rwanda-backed militia who seized eastern Congo’s key city of Goma.

The move, announced on Monday, responded to calls for a safe corridor to be provided for aid and hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the fighting.

The announcement by M23 came shortly after the United Nations health agency said at least 900 people were killed in last week’s fighting in Goma between the militia and Congolese forces.

The city of 2 million people is at the heart of a region which holds vast deposits critical to much of the world’s technology.

The M23 were reported to be gaining ground in other areas of eastern Congo and advancing on another provincial capital, Bukavu.

But the group said on Monday that it did not intend to seize Bukavu, though it had earlier expressed ambition to march on Congo’s capital Kinshasa, a thousand miles away.

“It must be made clear that we have no intention of capturing Bukavu or other areas. However, we reiterate our commitment to protecting and defending the civilian population and our positions,” M23 spokesman Lawrence Kanyuka said in a statement.

There was no immediate comment from Congo’s government.

The M23’s announcement came ahead of a joint summit this week by the regional blocs for southern and eastern Africa, which have called for a ceasefire. 

Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven advanced economies urged parties in the conflict to return to negotiations. In a statement on Monday, they called for a “rapid, safe and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians.”

Congolese authorities have said they are open to talks to resolve the conflict, but that such a dialogue must be done within the context of previous peace agreements. 

Rwanda and the rebels have accused the Congolese government of defaulting on previous agreements.