M23 Rebels Start Pulling Out from Uvira City in DRC
March 23 Movement fighters started vacating positions in Uvira, a key urban center in South Kivu province, according to on-site observations by correspondents. The city previously functioned as South Kivu's temporary administrative hub before rebels seized control last week.
The armed group declared Monday it would "unilaterally withdraw its forces" from Uvira following requests from American negotiators, framing the move as confidence-building support for peace efforts currently underway.
Congo's government immediately rejected the claim as hollow posturing. Spokesperson Patrick Muyaya branded the announcement a "diversion."
Corneille Nangaa, who leads the Congo River Alliance (AFC)—a politico-military coalition backing M23—characterized the pullback as "conditional" in Monday evening remarks, insisting on protective measures. His demands centered on deploying impartial forces to shield civilians from potential retaliatory violence once rebels depart.
The withdrawal follows momentum gained during recent Doha negotiations, which produced a framework agreement signed in November. M23 pledged to launch a "unilateral trust-building measure" and "give the Doha peace process the maximum chance to succeed" toward achieving durable conflict resolution.
Qatari-mediated talks between M23 and Congolese authorities launched in March, yielding July's Declaration of Principles and November's framework document. Yet the August 18 deadline for finalizing a comprehensive peace deal elapsed without agreement.
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