Ammon News - Aljazeera - The Democratic Republic of Congo government and M23 rebels have signed a peace agreement in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, a Kenyan presidential spokesman said.

"DRC govt, M23 sign peace agreement in Nairobi," Manoah Esipisu wrote on his Twitter account.

Al Jazeera's sources also confirmed the news.

The M23, who were mainly ethnic Tutsis fighting against the government in the east of the country, agreed for peace talks with the government in October after suffering a number of defeats against government troops of the DRC and United Nations-backed forces.

M23 were once part of the country's army, but mutinied in 2012, accusing the government of not honouring a 2009 peace deal.

The world's largest UN peacekeeping force has been deployed in the DRC, helping the government fight M23.

Rwanda and Uganda have been accused by the DRC and the UN of backing the rebel forces, but have repeatedly denied the allegations.