The M23 armed group said it will withdraw from the strategic eastern Congolese city of Uvira at the request of U.S. mediators, a move that could ease immediate tensions after its rapid advance last week cast doubt on a newly signed peace deal between the governments of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.
The Rwanda-backed militia announced it “will unilaterally withdraw its forces from the city of Uvira, as requested by the U.S. mediators,” according to a statement signed by its coordinator, Corneil Nangaa. The group’s capture of Uvira—a key commercial hub near the border with Burundi—had raised fears of a wider regional war and unsettled diplomatic efforts aimed at halting a conflict that has gripped eastern Congo for decades.
- Advertisement -
M23 linked the decision to broader confidence-building, saying it was stepping back “to instil trust in order to give the Doha peace process every chance to succeed.” The Doha track is among ongoing initiatives seeking to stabilize eastern Congo following repeated rounds of failed cease-fires and international mediation.
In its statement, M23 called for “adequate measures” to be put in place to manage Uvira following its withdrawal. Those steps, the group said, should include “demilitarisation, protecting its population and infrastructure, and monitoring the ceasefire with a neutral force.” The language underscores lingering questions about who will administer security in the city and how any truce will be verified in a volatile area where multiple armed groups operate.
The group’s advance last week came just days after Congolese and Rwandan officials signed a peace deal in Washington. Its future has been cast into doubt by the seizure of Uvira, as the optics of territorial gains by a Rwanda-backed militia complicated efforts to de-escalate. The U.S. request for a pullback reflects an urgent push to preserve diplomatic momentum and avert further escalation along the region’s sensitive borderlands.
Uvira’s location on Lake Tanganyika and along critical trade routes has made it a strategic prize in a conflict marked by shifting front lines and strained regional relations. Control of the city carries both symbolic and practical weight—affecting commerce, civilian movement and the balance of power among armed actors in South Kivu and beyond.
Eastern Congo, rich in minerals and beset by competing interests, has endured nearly three decades of armed conflict. Civilians have borne the brunt of violence, with recurrent cycles of displacement and insecurity undermining efforts to secure sustainable peace. While Thursday’s announcement offers a potential off-ramp from immediate confrontation in Uvira, durable calm depends on whether the proposed demilitarization, civilian protection and neutral monitoring can be put into practice—and whether broader political commitments hold.
For now, M23’s pledge represents a rare, publicly stated concession in a fast-moving crisis. The coming days will test whether the promised withdrawal is implemented on the ground, whether authorities can move quickly to stabilize the city and whether diplomatic tracks in Washington and Doha can regain traction after a week that rattled fragile confidence.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
