DR Congo Rebels to Withdraw from Uvira City Following US Intervention

Sat Dec 20 2025 13:55:30 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a significant development amid ongoing conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo, rebel leader Corneille Nangaa has announced plans to withdraw his forces from the key city of Uvira at the request of the US government, which seeks to uphold a peace agreement.

Rebel forces in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have agreed to vacate Uvira, a critical city seized earlier, responding to a request from the US. The move aims to support a peace process and is presented as a trust-building measure amid accusations of Rwandan support for the rebels. The ongoing fighting has resulted in a humanitarian crisis, displacing thousands and resulting in numerous casualties.

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 stated the 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 December 4 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, including the M23, considered by Western nations to be backed by Rwanda. The M23’s capture of Uvira significantly jeopardizes the stability of the region, located just 27km from Burundi's capital.

He indicated that the withdrawal would maximize chances for the Qatar-brokered peace process to succeed but did not specify when it would occur. He emphasized the importance of deploying a neutral force to monitor the situation and maintain peace.

The ongoing violence has resulted in a humanitarian crisis, with the UN reporting about 200,000 people displaced since early December, at least 74 fatalities, and many wounded.

The situation in eastern DR Congo has been convoluted, with a history of conflict lasting over three decades, despite numerous peace initiatives. The hope is that US-led efforts will pave the way for increased foreign investment in this resource-rich area.