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The United States cast doubt Wednesday on a claim by the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group that it was withdrawing from Uvira in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as requested by Washington.
“We have not seen credible evidence to suggest that M23 is taking steps toward withdrawal from Uvira and the surrounding area,” a State Department spokesman told AFP, calling on Rwanda to end its support for the rebels and “exit eastern DRC swiftly.”
M23’s political wing announced Tuesday that it would “unilaterally withdraw its forces from Uvira, as requested by the American mediation,” without providing a timeline.
The rebels seized control of the strategic city on December 10, just days after the two nations’ leaders and US President Donald Trump signed the “Washington Accords,” a framework aimed at ending the devastating conflict.
The capture of Uvira, along the border with Burundi, raised fears that the conflict could escalate into a regional war.
“The United States remains deeply concerned by the ongoing violence in eastern DRC, driving displacement and inflicting suffering on countless families,” the spokesman said.
Rwanda has never officially acknowledged its support for the M23, but Washington directly implicated it after the M23 offensive on Uvira.
On Saturday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had promised to respond to a “clear violation” of the peace agreement by the M23. At the United Nations, the US ambassador accused Kigali of “leading the region toward more instability and toward war.”
Eastern DRC, rich in natural resources and bordering Rwanda, has been plagued by conflict for three decades, but the situation worsened with the resurgence of the M23 group in 2021.
