The M23 armed group says it has agreed to withdraw from the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo town of Uvira, days after capturing it and threatening a fragile US-backed peace process.
The announcement followed a request by the United States, which has been mediating efforts to end fighting in eastern Congo. The rebels said the move was meant to show good faith and give ongoing peace talks a chance to succeed.
Uvira lies in South Kivu province, near the border with Burundi, and is considered a strategic town because of its location on Lake Tanganyika.
However, despite the announcement, fighters were still visible in Uvira on Tuesday morning. Local reports indicated that no immediate changes had taken place on the ground.
The withdrawal statement was issued by Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Alliance Fleuve Congo, a rebel coalition that includes M23. The group said the pullout was a unilateral step aimed at supporting peace talks being facilitated in Doha and Washington.
M23 seized Uvira last week, just days after the governments of Congo and Rwanda signed a US-brokered agreement intended to reduce tensions. The move raised concerns that the ceasefire was already faltering.
The United States publicly criticised the takeover, warning that it was prepared to act if commitments under the agreement were not honoured. Rwanda has repeatedly denied backing the rebels.
Security analysts say M23’s actions appear aimed at strengthening its negotiating position rather than ending hostilities. Similar tactics, involving temporary withdrawals followed by renewed advances, have been seen in past phases of the conflict.
The fighting in eastern Congo has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands of people this year alone. The capture of Uvira also heightened fears of regional spillover, given Burundi’s long-standing military presence in the area.
Whether the withdrawal will be fully carried out and whether it will help stabilise the ceasefire, remains unclear.
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