Rebel forces operating in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have announced plans to withdraw from the strategic city of Uvira following a request from the United States, in what they describe as a confidence-building move aimed at supporting ongoing peace efforts.
Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), said fighters under the AFC and its key member group, the M23, would pull out of Uvira in response to US mediation. His statement comes days after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the seizure of the city violated an existing peace agreement and signalled that Washington would act to ensure commitments made to President Donald Trump were honoured.
Nangaa said the withdrawal was intended to give a Qatar-led peace initiative the best chance of success. He did not provide a timeline for the pullout but called for the deployment of a neutral force to monitor a ceasefire and prevent Congolese government troops from retaking abandoned positions.
The United States and several European countries accuse Rwanda of backing the M23 rebels, an allegation Kigali denies. Earlier this month, Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame and DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi signed a peace agreement in Washington, a deal hailed by President Trump as a major diplomatic breakthrough. Rebel groups were not parties to that accord and are instead engaged in parallel talks facilitated by Qatar.
Uvira’s capture was a significant development in the conflict, as the city lies just 27 kilometres from Burundi’s commercial capital, Bujumbura, on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. DR Congo’s army, backed by Burundian troops, had regarded Uvira as its final stronghold in South Kivu province.
According to the United Nations, renewed fighting in eastern DR Congo has displaced around 200,000 people since early this month. At least 74 people, most of them civilians, have been killed, while dozens more have been treated for injuries.
The latest rebel advance began earlier this year with the fall of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, followed by the capture of Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu. South African troops deployed to assist Congolese forces were forced to withdraw after the rebels seized Goma.
Eastern DR Congo has endured more than three decades of conflict despite repeated peace initiatives. The US administration hopes the current diplomatic push will stabilise the region and open the door for increased American investment in the mineral-rich country, which holds vast reserves of critical resources used in modern technology and defence industries.