M23 rebels to withdraw troops from key DRC border city
The Rwandan-backed rebel group M23 has announced the unilateral withdrawal of its troops from Uvira in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The rebels captured the second largest city in South Kivu province, close to the border with Burundi, last week.
The decision is a “confidence-building measure in support of the Doha process”, said Corneille Nangaa, leader of the political wing of M23. According to the group, the withdrawal is taking place “at the request of the American mediator”. Qatar is also mediating in the conflict.
Ten days ago, the presidents of Congo and Rwanda, Félix Tshisekedi and Paul Kagame, signed an agreement in Washington in the presence of US president Donald Trump that was intended to bring peace to the region after 30 years. The M23 rebels had already begun their advance towards Uvira.
Washington stepped up pressure on Rwanda after the capture of Uvira. In the UN Security Council, US ambassador Mike Waltz accused Kigali of leading the region into war, while secretary of state Marco Rubio said the US would “take action to ensure promises made to the President are kept”, without specifying details.
The rebels have attached several conditions to the withdrawal: Uvira must be demilitarised, the population must be protected and a neutral force must monitor the ceasefire.
A patrol car of the M23 group in Uvira, DRC, 13 December 2025 © PHOTO JOSPIN MWISHA / AFP
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