Members of the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group are seen in Uvira, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Jan. 17, 2026. The M23 rebel group announced on Saturday that it would fully withdraw from Uvira, a strategic city in eastern DRC, though the Congolese government has repeatedly disputed the claim. (Str/Xinhua)
KINSHASA, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- The March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group announced on Saturday that it would fully withdraw from Uvira, a strategic city in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), though the Congolese government has repeatedly disputed the claim.
M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said the group has taken a "difficult decision" to pull out its forces, adding that Uvira would be placed "under the full and entire responsibility of the United Nations and the international community."
He said the withdrawal was intended to give ongoing regional peace efforts a chance to succeed, though he did not specify how many fighters were involved.
In December 2025, the group said it had begun withdrawing from Uvira, a key city in South Kivu Province that it had previously captured, describing the move as a goodwill gesture to support peace efforts.
The Congolese government, however, has consistently rejected those claims. Speaking on Saturday evening, government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya dismissed the announcement as "meaningless," calling it a "disinformation tactic."
"What is a withdrawal without departure?" Muyaya asked, warning that the rebels could leave behind infiltrated fighters. He stressed that the government would only recognize a withdrawal once state authority and public services were fully restored.
"The withdrawal will only be considered effective once state services can operate normally again," he said.
Uvira, located on the shores of Lake Tanganyika near the border with Burundi, had served as the provisional administrative center of South Kivu after the provincial capital, Bukavu, fell to the M23 in February 2025.
Clashes have continued in recent days across several fronts near Uvira, underscoring the persistent instability in eastern DRC.
The M23 said on Thursday that it had asked the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to protect civilians in Uvira in line with its mandate, though the mission has yet to respond.
Eastern DRC has endured decades of armed conflict, a situation further exacerbated by the resurgence of the M23 rebellion since late 2021. ■
Members of the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group are seen in Uvira, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Jan. 17, 2026. The M23 rebel group announced on Saturday that it would fully withdraw from Uvira, a strategic city in eastern DRC, though the Congolese government has repeatedly disputed the claim. (Str/Xinhua)