The government of Central African Republic and armed groups in control of most of the country signed a deal in Bangui Wednesday aimed at ending a bloody, years-long conflict.

“The first effect of this agreement is the cessation of all violence against civilians,” President Faustin-Archange Touadera said at the signing ceremony, without disclosing the contents of the pact.

“For us, this day is a historic moment which enshrines the culmination of nearly three years of efforts,” Touadera said, adding he was “holding out a hand to our brothers and sisters in the armed groups.”

The deal had been initialled in Khartoum on Tuesday after lengthy talks brokered by the African Union and supported by the United Nations.