Rwanda-backed M23 rebels claim withdrawal from Uvira

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels claimed to have begun a withdrawal from the city of Uvira in eastern Congo late Wednesday night, according the leader of the rebel group and local authorities. Bertrand Bisimwa, leader of the M23, spoke to The Associated Press via telephone and said the withdrawal would be complete by Thursday morning. “We said we’re going to withdraw. Our statement is clear. And that’s what we’re doing,” said Bisimwa. 

M23 took control of the city last week following a rapid offensive launched at the start of the month. More than 400 people have been killed, and about 200,000 displaced, regional officials say. The rebels’ latest offensive comes despite a US-mediated peace agreement signed earlier this month by the Congolese and Rwandan presidents in Washington. Residents shared conflicting reports on the status of the withdrawal. Kelvin Bwija, coordinator of the Congolese civil society in Uvira, said M23 troops were heading north toward the town of Kamanyola.

Bwija also claimed that pro-Government militias know as Wazelendo have begun to approach the city but the AP was unable to confirm this. When asked who would take control of the city following his forces withdrawal, Bisimwa said the responsibility fell to the mediators and that M23 had “requested a neutral force, and we believe that those who asked us to withdraw will be able to deploy them very quickly.” A spokesperson for the governor of South Kivu said he was unable to confirm the withdrawal late Wednesday night.

The US last week accused Rwanda of violating the agreement by backing the new rebel advance in the mineral-rich eastern Congo, and warned that the Trump administration will take action against “spoilers” of the deal. The accord didn’t include the rebel group, which is negotiating separately with Congo and agreed earlier this year to a ceasefire that both sides accuse the other of violating. However, the accord obliges Rwanda to halt support for armed groups like M23 and work to end hostilities.

The rebel push into Uvira brought the conflict to the doorstep of neighbouring Burundi, which has maintained troops in eastern Congo for years, heightening fears of a broader regional spillover. Around 64,000 refugees from Congo have arrived in Burundi since the start of the month, according to the UN refugee agency. There have also been reports of shells falling in the town of Rugombo, on the Burundian side of the border.

Congo, the US and UN experts accuse Rwanda of backing M23, which has grown from hundreds of members in 2021 to around 6,500 fighters, according to the UN. More than 100 armed groups are vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo, near the border with Rwanda, most prominently M23. The conflict has created one of the world’s most significant humanitarian crises, with more than 7 million people displaced, according to the UN agency for refugees.