Fighters from the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group have withdrawn from several strategic positions in the violence-plagued eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, marking a significant development in the ongoing conflict that has devastated the region for years.
The withdrawal, confirmed by the group itself, local officials, and the Congolese military, saw M23 fighters leave multiple areas north of the city of Uvira in South Kivu province, including the strategically important town of Sange located just 30 kilometres north of Uvira.
According to senior local official Paul Fikiri Mudeda, M23 combatants departed Sange on Monday morning, prompting scenes of jubilation among the local population. “Young people, women, children — even school kids — are all celebrating right now,” Mudeda told AFP, describing how residents welcomed pro-government militia fighters known as the “wazalendo” who moved in to fill the vacuum left by the retreating rebels.
The Congolese army’s regional spokesperson, Lieutenant Reagan Mbuyi, confirmed the withdrawal from Sange as well as the nearby areas of Kabunambo, Mutarule, and Bwegera. A security source within the M23 itself acknowledged the fighters had pulled back from Sange and surrounding areas, stating the group was “returning to the positions we held before taking Uvira.”
However, the M23 continues to maintain control over Kamanyola, a town situated 70 kilometres north of Uvira where the borders of the DRC, Rwanda, and Burundi converge. “Kamanyola was not included in the withdrawal,” the M23 source confirmed, making clear the group has not abandoned all of its territorial gains.
The withdrawal comes against a backdrop of intense international pressure on all parties to respect an agreed ceasefire. The United States has been actively attempting to broker peace between the M23 and the DRC government, reportedly in return for privileged access to the eastern DRC’s vast mineral riches, which include cobalt, coltan, and gold critical to global supply chains.
The M23 launched its major offensive on Uvira in December 2025 at a time when both the DRC and Rwanda were in the process of ratifying a peace deal under U.S. mediation. The group withdrew from the city in January under pressure from Washington, and American officials have repeatedly called on all belligerents to respect the ceasefire agreement.
For more than three decades, the mineral-rich eastern DRC has been a battleground for numerous armed groups competing for control over lucrative mining resources. Since 2021, the M23 has seized vast swathes of territory in the eastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, bordering South Kivu. The capture of Uvira represented a major southward expansion of the group’s sphere of influence.
Despite this latest withdrawal, analysts remain cautious about its implications. The pattern of advances and pullbacks seen over the past months reflects the complex, multi-layered nature of the conflict, which involves not just the M23 and government forces, but also a patchwork of local militias, Rwandan involvement, and competing interests over the region’s extraordinary mineral wealth.
The international community continues to watch the situation closely, with the African Union, United Nations, and various diplomatic envoys urging all parties to commit to a durable ceasefire and return to negotiated settlement talks.