The presidents of Congo and Rwanda have met in Qatar for their first direct talks since Rwandan-backed M23 rebels seized two major cities in mineral-rich eastern Congo earlier this year.

The Democratic Republic of Congo's President Félix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame have called for an "immediate ceasefire" in eastern DR Congo, after having direct talks in Qatar.

In a surprise announcement from Qatar Tuesday the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda jointly called for a cease-fire in an effort to end warfare between them after 30 years of fighting.

Rwanda-backed rebels battling Congo’s army have pushed into a strategic, mineral-rich town in the east, ignoring calls for a ceasefire this week by the Congolese and Rwandan presidents as the M23 rebel group expands its footprint in the conflict-torn African country.

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels entered the outskirts of the town of Walikale in east Congo on Wednesday, an army source and two residents told Reuters, a day after Rwanda and Congo's presidents met in Qatar and called for a ceasefire.