Congolese rebel leader Laurent Nkunda has agreed to take part in United Nations backed peace talks.
However, fighting between the army and rebels raged on in the east despite his declared support for a ceasefire.
After meeting UN special envoy Olusegun Obasanjo, Mr Nkunda said he had agreed to three requests from him - to respect a ceasefire, open a humanitarian corridor to aid refugees, and support the UN peace initiative.
But he had asked Mr Obasanjo, a former Nigerian head of state, to tell Congolese President Joseph Kabila's government to also respect a suspension of military hostilities.
"We are behind him (Obasanjo) and we are going to do our part so we can get on with this peace," said Mr Nkunda.
Speaking later in the city of Goma, Mr Obasanjo said the Tutsi rebel chief had agreed to take part in UN-sponsored peace negotiations in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.
But he did not specify a date and did not expect it would involve face-to-face talks with Mr Kabila, which the rebel leader wants.
As the meeting was taking place, UN peacekeepers reported heavy fighting between Mr Nkunda's National Congress for the Defence of the People rebels and Congo's army 110 km north of Goma.
The UN trouble-shooter is seeking to prevent the fighting in North Kivu from escalating into a repeat of a wider 1998-2003 Congo war that sucked in six neighbouring states.