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The Democratic Republic of Congo has rejected claims by the M23 armed group that it will withdraw from the eastern city of Uvira, describing the announcement as a “distraction” rather than a meaningful step towards peace. The Congolese government made the remarks on Wednesday following the Rwanda-backed group’s latest advance in the region.
M23 fighters seized Uvira, a strategically important city near the border with Burundi, last Wednesday. The capture came just days after the governments of DR Congo and Rwanda signed a peace agreement, a deal that US President Donald Trump had praised as a “great miracle”. Kinshasa, however, has accused Kigali of undermining the accord through continued military involvement.
Government spokesman Patrick Muyaya dismissed the withdrawal pledge, accusing M23 of acting to shield Rwanda from scrutiny. He said the announcement amounted to a diversion, insisting that the real issue was the presence of Rwandan troops on Congolese soil and calling for their complete withdrawal.
The seizure of Uvira has cast serious doubt over the future of the peace process and heightened fears of a broader regional conflict. By taking control of the city, which is home to several hundred thousand people, M23 has gained command of the land border with Burundi, effectively cutting off the DR Congo from potential military support from its neighbour.
Tensions have also drawn sharp criticism from Washington. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at the weekend that Rwanda had clearly breached the peace agreement signed on December 4 and warned that action would follow. A day earlier, US ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz accused Rwanda of pushing the region towards greater instability and the risk of war.
On Tuesday, the head of M23’s political wing said in a statement that the group would “unilaterally withdraw its forces from the city of Uvira” at the request of US mediators. However, residents contacted on Wednesday reported that M23 fighters were still present in the city.
Eastern DR Congo, a region rich in minerals, has endured decades of conflict. Since resuming its insurgency in 2021, M23 has captured large areas of territory, triggering a deepening humanitarian crisis. While Rwanda has consistently denied backing the group, the United States has directly blamed Kigali for M23’s takeover of Uvira.
Muyaya accused Rwandan President Paul Kagame of attempting to consolidate control over parts of Congolese territory through violence, warning that such actions were worsening an already dire humanitarian situation. Burundian authorities said at least 85,000 refugees have fled into Burundi following the latest fighting, with numbers continuing to rise.
