African leaders signed a UN-backed peace framework for the Great Lakes region on Saturday, but quickly admitted it might be difficult to implement amid ethnic violence, poverty and political mistrust.
Leaders from 11 Great Lakes countries, including Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, signed the agreement and pledged to end genocide, war, hunger and disease that have killed 3 million over more than a decade.
"No one has got everything they wanted from this process, but everyone has got what they need -- a real chance for peace, stability, democracy and development in a vast region," UN secretary-general Kofi Annan said at a signing ceremony.
The Dar es Salaam Declaration pledges countries to confidence-building measures, including efforts to disarm rebel groups, stop arms flows and cooperate on resolving the plight of millions of refugees.
While the deal is seen as an important political step, the hard work of developing implementation and verification programs has been left to a committee of ministers who are due to report back to a second summit next year.
Many officials in Dar es Salaam agreed that this could be difficult.
"The proof of the pudding is in the eating," host President Benjamin Mkapa said at the closing ceremony. "We have placed our credibility and integrity on the line. We will only be believed and respected for our actions."