Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: THE rebel group which last week seized the Democratic Republic of Congo city of Uvira said they had begun withdrawing, promising to complete the pullout soon, following pressure from the US.
The M23 group captured the strategic city near the border with Burundi, days after a “historic” USbrokered peace deal between Congolese and Rwandan governments aimed at ending the long-running conflict in eastern DR Congo. However, DR Congo’s government said the reported withdrawal was a “diversion” and needed verification. Some Uvira residents told the BBC it was not clear if the M23 were leaving, with some of their trucks still moving around the city. The capture of Uvira sparked US condemnation and warning of sanctions against Rwanda. The US accuses Rwanda of backing the rebels, which it denies.
M23 leader Bertrand Bisimwa said on December 16 that the withdrawal was “under way,” with spokesman Willy Ngoma adding that this was “for the sake of peace”. In a post on X, Bisimwa urged mediators and international partners to ensure the city was protected from “reprisals, violence and remilitarisation”. The Uvira offensive left dozens dead, at least 100 wounded and more than 200,000 displaced, according to the UN. At least 30,000 civilians fled into Burundi.
It came despite the December 4 peace deal signed in Washington between Rwandan President Paul Kagame and his DR Congo counterpart, Felix Tshisekedi, at a ceremony in Washington hosted by President Donald Trump. The rebels were not signatories to that peace deal but they have been part of a parallel peace process led by Qatar, a US ally that has strong ties with Rwanda.