M23 Rebels to Withdraw from Uvira as US Pushes for Peace

Tue Dec 16 2025 23:12:06 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a pivotal moment for the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, rebel leader Corneille Nangaa announces plans for a withdrawal from the city of Uvira at the urging of the United States, who aim to reinforce a peace deal in the region.

Under US pressure, M23 rebel leader Corneille Nangaa has announced that his forces will withdraw from Uvira, a crucial city in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This decision follows allegations that the rebels' capture of the city breached a peace agreement, prompting the US to step in to mediate the conflict. Nangaa characterized the withdrawal as a gesture of goodwill, aligning with a Qatar-led peace process despite the complex backdrop of foreign support and historical conflict in the region.

A rebel leader in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo says his fighters will withdraw from a key city at the request of the US.

Corneille Nangaa's statement came days after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the capture of Uvira by rebel forces violated a peace deal, and the US would take action to ensure promises made to the President [Donald Trump] are kept.

Nangaa said that rebel forces would pull out of the city as a trust-building measure.

The US accuses Rwanda of backing the rebels. Rwanda denies the allegation, but its President, Paul Kagame, signed a peace accord on 4 December with his DR Congo counterpart, Felix Tshisekedi, at a ceremony in Washington hosted by Trump.

The US president hailed the deal as historic and a great day for Africa.

The rebels were not signatories to it - and have been taking part in a parallel peace process led by Qatar, a US ally that has strong ties with Rwanda.

Nangaa is the coordinator of the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), a coalition of rebel groups. It includes the M23, the most powerful force that European countries, along with the US, say is backed by Rwanda.

The M23's capture of Uvira was a major blow to DR Congo's army, as the city is only 27km (17 miles) from Burundi's economic capital, Bujumbura. AFC/M23 will unilaterally withdraw its forces from the city of Uvira as requested by the United States mediation, Nangaa said, adding that this was being done to give the Qatar-brokered peace process the maximum chance to succeed.

About 200,000 people have fled their homes in eastern DR Congo since the latest round of fighting started early this month, the UN says. At least 74 people, mostly civilians, had been killed, and 83 others had been admitted to hospital with wounds, it added.

The conflict has caused a humanitarian crisis in eastern DR Congo and neighbouring states, persisting for over 30 years. The Trump administration hopes that its peace initiative will pave the way for US companies to boost their investments in the resource-rich region, which holds an estimated $25 trillion in mineral wealth.