Congo-Kinshasa: Tutsi-Led M23 Rebels Withdraw From Eastern DR Congo
Cape Town — Tuti-led M23 rebels in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo have withdrawn from several villages ahead of military deployments by a regional force, officials in the troubled region said Thursday, March 15, 2023.
The rebels advanced closer to Goma, threatening to cut off road links to the city of over 1 million people on the border with Rwanda.
The seven-nation East African Community (EAC) began deploying a military force to eastern Congo in November 2022 in a bid to stabilise the region. However, clashes between the M23 and the DR Congo army continued, and several regional peace initiatives failed, including a cease-fire mediated by Angola that was to come into effect on March 7, 2023.
Some residents remain wary about M23’s moves, with civil society leader in Goma, Jean-Claude Bambaze calling it a “false withdrawal.” He said the rebels were preparing for a fresh attack.
Independent U.N. experts, the United States and several other Western nations have also concluded that the M23 is backed by Rwanda, though Kigali denies the accusation.
