M23 rebel leader says troop withdrawal from Uvira begins

Rebel groups that seized the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Uvira city last week said they had begun withdrawing their troops and promised to complete the withdrawal on Thursday amid pressure from the United States.

The M23 group seized the strategic city near the border with Burundi just days after the US-brokered Congolese and Rwandan governments reached a “historic” peace deal aimed at ending the long-running conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

However, the DRC government said the reported withdrawal was an act of “diversion” and needed to be verified.

On Thursday morning, some Uvira residents told the BBC it was unclear whether the M23 would leave and that some of their trucks were still plying the city.

Uvira’s occupation prompted U.S. condemnation and warnings of sanctions against Rwanda. The United States accuses Rwanda of backing the rebels, which it denies.

M23 leader Bertrand Bissimwa said on Wednesday that the troop withdrawal was “under way” and spokesman Willy Ngoma added that it was “for the sake of peace”.

In a post on X, Bisimwa urged mediators and international partners to ensure the city is protected from “retaliation, violence and re-militarization”.

A member of local civil society, who spoke on condition of anonymity for his own safety, told the BBC that some M23 troops had begun to retreat. However, he said the same police force was still present.

Another resident expressed doubts about the withdrawal.

“It looks like they’re still here. In fact, yesterday I saw them bringing up police cars,” the resident told the BBC on Thursday morning.

Patrick Muyaya, a spokesman for the DRC government, told BBC Newsday that M23’s statement was intended to “distract the attention of a US mediation team that is preparing measures against Rwanda”.

Muyaya called the M23 movement’s decision to leave Uvira a “positive sign” but said the government needed to confirm the situation on the ground.

He had previously called for “vigilance” against “so-called troop withdrawals”.

“Who can confirm? Where are they going? How many people are there? What are they leaving behind in the city? Mass graves? Soldiers disguised as civilians?” he said in a post on X.

The Uvira offensive killed dozens, injured at least 100 and displaced more than 200,000 people, according to the United Nations. At least 30,000 civilians fled into Burundi.

The agreement comes despite the signing of a peace deal by Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi on December 4 in a ceremony hosted by President Donald Trump in Washington.

The rebels are not signatories to the peace deal, but they are part of a parallel peace process led by Qatar, a U.S. ally with close ties to Rwanda.