DAKAR: Rwanda-backed M23 rebels said Tuesday they will withdraw from Uvira, the strategic city in eastern Congo seized last week, as fighting in the region escalated despite a US mediated peace deal.
Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance, which includes M23, said the withdrawal was requested by the US and is a “unilateral trust-building measure” to facilitate the peace process.
The statement also called for the demilitarization of Uvira, the protection of its population and infrastructure, and the monitoring of the ceasefire through the deployment of a neutral force. It did not say whether M23’s withdrawal is contingent on implementing these measures.
Uvira residents said Tuesday that the rebels are still in the town.
M23 took control of the city last week following a rapid offensive launched at the start of the month. Along with the more than 400 people killed, about 200,000 have been displaced, regional officials say.
