M23 withdrawal from Uvira appears imminent. Specifically, the rebels said they would leave the eastern Congo town at the U.S. administration’s request. Previously, the United States had criticized M23’s seizure of Uvira last week. Accordingly, Washington called it a threat to peace mediation efforts.
M23 entered Uvira less than a week after Congo’s and Rwanda’s presidents met U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington. During that meeting, they reaffirmed their commitment to the Washington Accords—a peace deal meant to ease regional tensions.
In response, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio acted swiftly. On Saturday, he stated that Rwanda’s actions in eastern Congo violated the accords. Furthermore, he vowed to “take action to ensure promises made to the President are kept.”
However, Rwanda denies supporting M23. Instead, it blames Congolese and Burundian forces for renewed fighting. Yet, a July United Nations experts’ report found that Rwanda exercises command and control over the rebels.
Corneille Nangaa leads the Congo River Alliance, an insurgent coalition that includes M23. Notably, in a post on X, he announced the planned exit. He described it as a “unilateral trust-building measure.” Moreover, he said the goal is to “give the Doha peace process the maximum chance to succeed.”
Although M23 is not part of the Washington-mediated talks, it has held separate negotiations with the Congolese government. These talks, hosted by Qatar, take place in Doha.
Despite the announcement, a civil society activist in Uvira told Reuters on Tuesday that M23 fighters were still in the town. Meanwhile, a rebel source said both sides would pull back 5 kilometers (3 miles) to form a buffer zone. Importantly, M23 had proposed this buffer during a press conference last week.
As of Tuesday, neither Congo nor Burundi had commented on the withdrawal claims.
Earlier this year, M23 launched a lightning offensive in January. Consequently, it quickly seized eastern Congo’s two largest cities. Since then, the fighting has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands more.
Moreover, the rebels have tried to build a parallel administration in the east. Therefore, analysts warn this could lead to a lasting division of the Central African nation.
For now, the M23 withdrawal from Uvira—whether fully carried out or not—shows a tactical shift under international pressure. Ultimately, it also highlights how fragile diplomacy remains in one of Africa’s most volatile conflicts.
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